Study: Flamboyant male dancing attracts women best

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A recent study from British scientists indicates that women are more attracted to male dancers who exhibit big, flamboyant movements, akin to John Travolta's iconic style. Researchers filmed 19 non-professional male dancers and transformed their movements into avatars, which were then rated by 37 women. The findings suggest that a wide range of dance moves, particularly those emphasizing the head, neck, and torso, are perceived as more attractive. However, some participants questioned whether the attractiveness stems from the flamboyance of the movements or simply from the perception that more active dancers are better. The discussion also touched on personal experiences with dancing, preferences for different styles, and the social dynamics of dancing in various environments. Participants expressed that confidence and the willingness to dance freely are attractive traits, regardless of technical skill. The conversation included humorous exchanges about various dance styles and famous dancers, highlighting differing opinions on what constitutes good dancing.
  • #31
Math Is Hard said:
Listen up, guys! :biggrin:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100909/ap_on_sc/eu_britain_male_dancing
Although I'm not sure if the conclusion should be that women are more attracted to flamboyant dancing. It could just be that dancers who move around a lot are generally perceived as better dancers than ones who don't move around so much. Isn't that common sense? (Elaine from Seinfeld excepted).

It could be that they're perceived as more confident. I fall into the category that thinks men who are willing to be a bit crazy on the dance floor are more attractive than those who don't dance, or barely move while dancing and look all awkward about being on a dance floor (the worst are the ones who won't get out on a dance floor until they're 3 sheets to the wind and then STILL look stiff). I like a guy who isn't afraid of just having fun and doesn't give a damn what other people who are watching think. And, no, they don't have to be better dancers, just willing to get out and move. When I lived in NJ, I used to love going to the parties with my Latino friends...the men all danced, and were raised to dance with a variety of partners throughout the night, not just clinging to one woman all night long. They ALL seemed hot hot hot (and we didn't even have alcohol at some of those parties). Of course, they weren't just moving a lot, they were damn good dancers! One of them was a dance instructor and is the one who taught me the basics of Latin dancing.

My boyfriend is flat out goofy on the dance floor. He knows how to dance somewhat (has had a few ballroom dancing lessons forced upon him in his life), so can lead well enough if the occasion requires, but we just have more fun being silly together. Yeah, I think it's fun when you get to do lots of twirling and dipping without being dropped, and couldn't care less if we aren't doing it right.

Dancing seems a lot like a courtship ritual, doesn't it? C'mon guys, strut your stuff. :biggrin:

As for Greg's caveat, I think part of that is the club environment. If a guy is making wildly flamboyant dance moves on a crowded dance floor, yeah, he might be a jerk. You need to know how to adjust your dancing to the space you have to dance in too.

Edit: By the way, that "bad dancing" avatar cracks me up! I just watched it three times and am really laughing aloud. I agree that my definition of flamboyant doesn't really fit with the "good dancing" example either. That was still pretty "contained" compared to what I've seen that I'd call flamboyant. But the bad dancing one doesn't even look like dancing, it looks like nervously pacing in circles. It's not quite so bad as what I expected though. I was thinking something like the guys that stand with arms stiffly at sides, maybe bent at the elbow, who dances mostly by shifting weight from one foot to the other, the way a little kid who needs to go potty "dances"...they often have that same "I really need to go potty" expression on their faces too. :smile:
 
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  • #32
a cute clip of him with doris day - music portion is from about 1:15 to 4:15

 
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  • #33
The heart and soul of dancing :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=myJj0mNNe1Y&feature=related
(There's even someone getting up from the splits like the scarecrow guy)

And I don't know if Fred Astaire was known to be attractive, but as a tap dancer, no one came close in his days. Here are scenes from one of his movies (The Band Wagon, 1953) mixed in with a popular song he obviously inspired (oddly entertaining if you're familiar with the 80's video for the song).
 
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  • #34
that was a cute video. i did think they got the 3 best couples. i felt that the guy that finished third (in the raggedy levis) had the most amount of athletic talent. not only because of his flexibility, but because of the speed of his leg movement. whether they were the best couple or not, hard for me to tell. first, i don't know just exactly what the goals are. i do think that the couple that won was a bit more talented than the ones that finished second.

the astaire video had more posturing than any sort of real dancing. no, he was not considered attractive. imo, astaire did not have the same physical talent as kelly or o'connor, and certainly not bolger - but i thought as a couple dancer, he was the best. more than anyone else, he could make it look like one dancer. and he did it with more than one partner.

in other words, astaire was at his best when he was dancing with a partner. bolger, kelly and o'connor were best when dancing alone, showcasing their better athletic ability.
 
  • #35
GeorginaS said:
Oh my goodness. I have a friend who dances exactly like that. There's no music playing, but you know that person has no rhythm at all.

:smile:
 
  • #36
This is dancing :biggrin:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZbckwYY9r4
 
  • #37
I want to show the dance scene from season 1 of Angel, but the clips either have the wrong audio, terrible video quality, or doesn't include the girl's question. I guess the last option is the best, so I should explain what happened before. Angel (the vampire with a soul) is at a party, feeling pretty awkward. A girl tries to talk to him, but the conversation is awkward too. A new song starts, and the girl says "Oh, I love this" and starts making dance moves. Angel looks really uncomfortable as he turns his head toward the dance floor. She continues "Would you like to dance?" Cut to Angel's face. That's where the clip starts.



http://www.break.com/index/i-think-he-can-dance.html can dance.
 
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  • #38
I don't know that "flamboyant" is the criteria, necessarily, but a guy who can dance well is astoundingly attractive.

HeLiXe: Very cool video. Is that an advert for a hotel or something? If there was dialog, I missed it.
 
  • #39
Here's a bit of flamboyant male ice skating:
 
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