Studies show that dancing skills increase a man’s chances of finding love.
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When a seven-year-old girl from my writing class in Singapore declared that boys don’t dance, her classmate—a boy—stood up and turned around, his eyes wide as saucers. “Of course, they do!” he shouted. “I like to dance!”
The little boy’s vehemence negated the general notion that men are less inclined than women to express themselves in artistic ways. Male dancers around the world have proved time and again that fluidity and grace are not gender-specific traits, but a sizeable number of men still hesitate to embrace the dance floor for many reasons.
As new studies reveal the link between dancing skills and male desirability, will we see more men flaunting their moves anytime soon?
Roshan’s muscled yet slender torso moved like a wave—fluid and beautiful—as he danced his way into the hearts of millions of women across India.
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A 2014 article by Patrick Allan in Lifehacker.com cites a study—conducted by Northumbria University in Newcastle (UK)—which identifies the type of male dance moves that impress women. Study lead Nick Neave—from the School of Life Sciences at Northumbria University—says:
In humans, dance is a set of intentional, rhythmic, culturally influenced, non-verbal body movements that are considered to be an important aspect of sexuality and courtship attraction.
Neave explains that dancing skills could be a signal of “male mate quality in terms of physical strength, prenatal androgenization, and symmetry, thus affecting women’s perceptions of male attractiveness”.
Take the case of one of India’s most popular actors—Hrithik Roshan—who barged into the world of Hindi cinema with a movie that highlighted his spectacular dancing skills.
Roshan’s muscled yet slender torso moved like a wave—fluid and beautiful—as he danced his way into the hearts of millions of women across India. He swayed not just to the beats of the Indian dhol (double-headed drum) but also to the rhythm of western music; his graceful form brimming with energy, elegance, and style. Roshan’s moves—and not his acting skills—catapulted him into the big league and earned him an enviable female fan base overnight.
It isn’t difficult to find men dancing on roads and rooftops in India during festivals or at weddings, but the idea of dance being an asset when it comes to wooing a woman hasn’t yet set in.
So what’s holding the men back?
Ivan See, a 26-year old Zumba dancer from Singapore, says that one doesn’t find many male dancers in Zumba classes because men are not comfortable with how they look when they dance. “Most men probably think dance is difficult,” he says. “It’s not! It gets easier with practice.” Christina Chew, See’s 28-year old Zumba instructor from Dance Channel Singapore, tells me that 80 percent of her class is female. Men are afraid of being judged by others, she says. “Some walk in with their girlfriends or wives, but never on their own.”
A girl having fun on the dance floor will never forget the guy who made it possible for her to let her hair down.
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Vikram Menon—a 30-year old software professional from India—echoes Chew’s observation as he admits that he has a morbid fear of dancing. Menon cites embarrassment and lack of confidence as the two biggest factors that stop him from “dancing like crazy.” He tells me he has wanted to take his girl out for a dance many times but believes he can’t. “I sense a million eyes around me,” he says.
Chew explains that apart from strengthening muscles and lessening stress, dance workouts also impart a sense of rhythm and help men socialize. “Who knows, you might find your better half dancing just next to you in class!” she adds, hinting at romantic relationships that sometimes develop as men and women dance together.
A 40-year-old friend from India agrees that many women tend to be interested in men who can dance. She considers good dancing a great turn-on. “There’s something about a man who can guide you in a jive or a couple dance,” she says. A passionate dancer with a lovely sense of rhythm, she appreciates men who can match her skills on the floor. It’s how she connects.
While it is true that many communities and cultures don’t do much to encourage a love of dance in men, several male dancers have shattered stereotypes and pursued dance in a big way. From the eternal King of Pop—Michael Jackson—to Zumba founder Beto Perez and Hrithik Roshan, men have successfully laid claim to their share of the limelight in the realm of dance.
Dancing is not just fun but also a means of expression. Holding a woman as she dances—her eyes exuding mischief and excitement—can connect her partner to the child in her. A girl having fun on the dance floor will never forget the guy who made it possible for her to let her hair down. Moments spent dancing with gay abandon could create special memories that sweeten relationships and help a couple get through turbulent times as well. For it’s not ordinary men and women—but extraordinary memories—that sometimes hold a relationship together.
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Photo: HrithikRules.com
I know quite a lot of people, both men and women, who are rather good at dancing and enjoy doing it very much. I also have quite a few friends who like me would like to dance, would like to learn and know how to do it, but somehow never seem to get around and actually do it. I think that one particular hurdle that one has to get over, as long as we’re talking about dancing as couples, is that as a man you are expected to know what you are doing, you are supposed to be the guide,… Read more »
thanks for reading! it’s good to be able to dance…expectations or lack of it, stereotypes, false notions about men not wanting to let go of themselves and have some fun, about women being artistically more expressive… these are surely the hurdles…
Thnks for reading! Stress, anxiety and ridicule are elements dance must should ideally never bring about…apart from being a skill, it’s also meant to relieve stress and be fun!
It is ridiculed how people get judged on anything and everything even over trivial things like dancing. In America, Nigel Lythgoe started the TV show so You think You Can Dance, to encourage men and boys to dance even if they don’t do it as a full-time profession. Another problem is that American culture and society don’t have afterschool programs for dancing and in many Christian schools, they actually forbid dancing between the boys and girls at many events on the campus grounds. Back in the 20s to 70s, you had American men dancing to the music; however, it seems… Read more »
Ah the 70’s I remember one dance class in school, I’ve worked very had at avoiding dance since that day. Dancing contains nothing but stress and anxiety. My wife wishes I would dance but noticed my stress and as stopped asking after almost 30 years.
Actually I have to disagree. I’ve lived thru the mid 80s and thru the 90s and men were dancing and took it in a new direction such as break dancing and vogue. However, from a demographics point of view that I would say that the Caucasian’s are the ones that stopped (or tapered off) from dancing, well during the Disco ages till it died. Can you call dancing to metal dancing? Also, I believe it depends on where too. In the big cities, men dancing has never died. In the small town suburbs, yes. From a cultural point of view,… Read more »
you may be right there… some communities look at it as a natural aspect of celebration, which is so good… thanks for reading.
Just a note on Zumba Dancing, I think that this is out of context of this being an “exercise” rather than a night on the town. For a guy, if he is going to work out and exercise, it will most likely be running, sports, or weight lifting in some form. I don’t think Zumba (just another form of aerobics) is an “exercise” that men want to do, not because of fear of dancing, but because it is not challenging enough.