Good dancing is 'sign of male strength', study says

[xchrom]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-21243777

Heterosexual men eye up other men's physical qualities from their dance moves - just as women do - researchers in Newcastle have found.

The Northumbria University study used 3D technology to capture the moves of 30 men aged between 19 and 37 who danced to a simple drum beat.

The results showed that women were drawn to strong arm and torso moves.

But they showed men were also conscious of strong upper body movements - making it easier to detect "love rivals".

[GreenPartyVoter]

1. This seems to fall in line with tribes where the men dance to

catch the ladies' eyes. I guess it's something we've known for a long time.

[msongs]

2. maybe this is why straight women love dancing with gay men lol nt

[RainDog]

3. well, the figure isn't doing anything between shoulder and thigh

so there's no reason for your eye to go below his shoulders. There's no defined step to his foot moves. He's just moving randomly and more like a jump than a dance step. Another reason to pay attention to the more varied movement going on at shoulder level.

Put James Brown in that computer visual and I bet you have people looking at his feet.

[DavidDvorkin]

4. Refusing to dance is a sign of firm self-esteem and a strong self-image.

[randome]

7. LOL! I misread your post.

I'd say the exact opposite was true! If you're not afraid to embarrass yourself, you have a strong self-image and self-esteem.

[DavidDvorkin]

14. I prefer to see it as standing firm against those who insist that one must dance

"Hmph!" I reply, standing tall and firm, with arms crossed, and self-esteem intact.

[randome]

19. I got ya! No problems from me!

[AndyTiedye]

36. As Long as You Don't Do It In the Middle of the Dance Floor

[DavidDvorkin]

38. Ha!

[Ron Obvious]

23. Totally agree!

I totally agree, and the fact that I dance like an epileptic monkey has no bearing on my opinion.

[brush]

27. Dancing is fun if you can dance

It's also a great way to interact with that woman you had your eye on, or to have fun with the woman you're with. Try learning, it signals self confidence.

[DavidDvorkin]

31. I'm sure that's true

However, it's excruciating torture if you can't.

Some things, some people cannot learn to do. If you're one of those people, it's best to accept that and not keep trying.

[Quantess]

5. Maybe this explains the universal appeal of Ricky Martin..?

and why I will watch his videos, but only on mute.

[Cerridwen]

8. The hetero bias built-in to this study gives me pause. (updated)

Sorry, xchrom. I'm not questioning your OP. Just the study and/or the reporting of the study.

There's just something about trying to make heterosexual interactions a universal, normative measure that makes me...question such studies.


updated to add: This particular evolutionary, er, scientist, has made some interesting discoveries that, most fortunately, validate the 19th century approved, status quo.

From the daily mail; that bastion of scientific rigor comes: dr. nick neave; "Sorry, but women are dependent on men".

Here's a link you can copy, edit and paste if you'd like to read it. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/ femail/article- 420513/ Sorry- women- dependent-men.html

[Quantess]

9. Yes you have a great and valid point, but

doesn't it seem like EVERY study is first done on males, and if there is a second factor to be considered, well then it's heterosexual males then! Just to make sure the "standard human being".
Females, homosexuals, etc are traditionally considered to be complications in the study.

Edit to add: Yes, and men are also dependent on women. That's like saying that a tribe of exclusively male chimpanzees will have a good society.

[Cerridwen]

11. Well stated. I'm about to update my post above.

This particular researcher has an interesting research history.

[Quantess]

13. That's the long standing tradition.

Even the medical profession has traditionally viewed women as being complicated, and not worth the extra trouble! Well you know what biology really tells us...is that females are actually the default variation. XX is the balanced genetic variation. Females are actually more of a "standard" if there is one, when we are discussing human beings (there actually isn't one standard, but scientific & medical studies really need to get past their status quo of presuming that males are the standard, then if a sexual orientation is considered, well of course it's the standard, heterosexual!

[Cerridwen]

16. That then results in useless, or worse yet, deadly

outcomes. My mind went to pharmaceutical research for the previous statement.

Which, when taken out of rigorous scientific examination or given the "scientific" stamp of approval, can then result in helping to justify or validate the most horrific treatment of people and our planet.

Social Darwinism used to justify suffering of, and disgust with, those in poverty. The science of psychology used to justify the "correction" and "cure" of those who try to escape and free themselves from slavery as "drapetomania". "Medical" science used to validate denial of education of women because it would cause a woman's uterus to "atrophy." And so on, and so on...

[Quantess]

32. It's true. And yes, there have been real, deadly results throughout history.

The most obvious example is of heart disease studies. Basically they just studied men, because women would just "complicate" the research. Absolutely true. This went on for decades. Just recently, and I mean in the past 5 years or so, heart disease research in women has finally attracted some interest from researchers.

[MADem]

10. I think Tom Jones would beg to differ with all that hopping around!

He didn't hop and wave his arms half as much as that figure, but he got his point across, so to speak.

And he's got an underwear collection dating back to 1968 to prove his point!

[samsingh]

12. these are good dance moves!

[GreenStormCloud]

15. Good dancing also demonstrates agility, coordination.

As well as other positive bodily attributes that are important for men to have in hunter-gatherer socities. Female dances are also important but tend to concentrate on demonstrations of likely fertility.

[Apophis]

17. I must be an inferior male specimen because I hate dancing.

It's a pointless act that mostly drunk people engage in.

This introvert refuses to dance.

[AndyTiedye]

34. This Introvert LOVES to Dance

It's a pointless act that mostly drunk people engage in.

The people who aren't dancing are usually even more drunk.

Far too often we are stuck dancing in "clubs", i.e. glorified bars. They suck.

I'd rather dance outdoors.

[freshwest]

18. 'The results showed that women were drawn to strong arm and torso moves.'

Not me, though. All legs.

[flamingdem]

20. Go to minute three of this video if you want to see some good torso movement

La Charanga Habanera

[RainDog]

21. here's a guy with moves

[flamingdem]

22. I remember him, he must be a few years older now

and probably has several girlfriends.. or is running a country somewhere

[RainDog]

25. I think there's a video of him a few years older

I loved this when I saw it because, to me, it speaks of the human response to music - we have delight in movement because it makes us feel good.

even when no one is around, people dance - for the joy of the experience

so, some study about "mating displays" and "dominance displays" is just... so what. when we first start dancing, it's for the pleasure we have "interpreting" sounds and giving them physical form, for us, with our movements.

no one has to teach us how to dance. we know it in our souls. of course, some people do learn ways to make dance more organized, but the initially impulse is just to express that joy music is giving to us by its existence.

[JoePhilly]

24. I can teach any man to dance.

This might be off topic, but there is a relatively simple technique that a man can learn that will very quickly improve his dancing ability.

First, watch the video in the OP. Most guys can't do that.

Then watch it again, and IMAGINE that the figure is dribbling an INVISIBLE BASKETBALL.

It turns out that if you can dribble a basketball and you learn how to dribble through your legs, and around your back, you can use the same basic moves when dancing.

Importantly, you do NOT need to become a great dribbler. But, if you work on basic dribbling skills of switching your dribble hand, dribbling through your legs, and around your back (that's more advanced), you can learn to look good dancing.

Growing up I learned this by accident. I happened to notice the similarities. I then taught my friends who played basketball this technique.

You practice with the ball, and even if you NEVER get good a dribbling for real, it doesn't matter because like the figure in the video, you don't use the ball when actually dancing. And if you mess up, there is no ball to go flying, and you simply use the "mistake", to change from straight cross over dribble to between the legs.

Watch this guy who is a very good dribbler ... then imagine that you slow it down, stand up a little straighter, and you can get the idea. Also, I have no relationship to this guy, but his video is pretty good.

[RainDog]

26. LOL

I'm gonna have to share this.

One sad fact of protestantism is their aversion to dancing.

now they can just think of it as b-ball.

[JoePhilly]

28. Share away ... I used this technique to help many very bad dancers.

And if the guy has ANY history of playing basketball its even easier. Even guys who are not athletic can do it.

And the reality is that many basketball techniques WORK as dance moves.

For instance, imagine a basketball player trying to "box out" an opponent for a rebound. That's a dance move too. Its when you turn your back to the woman and then kind of rub your butt against her, a move which, if you are lucky, she will reciprocate. And if she reciprocates that move, you are now playing defense, pressing against her so she can't spin around you and "go to the hole and dunk".

Opps. Sometimes THAT is the goal.

Anyway ...

Years ago, I helped friends who wanted to ask women to dance at clubs leverage these moves, and they went from wall flowers to center floor.

Oh ... I also came from that Protestant world ... Presbyterian "end of world" stuff.

Ironically, I started to play basketball in THAT church. So basically they taught me to dance.

[RainDog]

29. whatever works

I was raised as a southern baptist and you know why they're opposed to pre-marital sex - someone might think you're dancing.

I also played basketball on my school team and did sports as a kid - but I also started dancing long before that.

That's why I think it's great - and funny.

Now, if you can just find a way to relate the booty pop to basketball... diversion on the foul line? lol.

[AndyTiedye]

35. Dancing Comes Much More Easily to Me than Basketball

What you suggest is fine for people who play basketball and may transfer to other sports as well.

If I were trying to learn to play basketball I'd probably try to turn it into a dance.
That would have a better chance of working for me.

[JoePhilly]

37. I've done this with people who have never played basketball too.

Being familiar with b-ball helps, but its not necessary because you don't need a ball, and so the "learner" can't really mess up.

Dribbling a basketball between your legs can be very hard to do if you are actually using a ball, but its very easy if you just pretend to have the ball. For a guy with little or no sense of rhythm, you can generate a basic rhythm based on the (pretend) bounce of the ball. On the beat the balls leaves you hand, on the next beat it hits the floor, and on the next beat, its in your other hand.

Of course if you can already dance, this kind of an approach is unnecessary.

I've used a similar approach to teach girls, and women who have never played a sport, to hit a softball using a version of this same approach, but in reverse.

The swing of a softball bat should include leg, hip arm, and shoulder movements, all in coordination.

But I've tended to find (not intending to over generalize) that girls and women who've never tried to swing a bat use only their arms, and maybe their shoulders, but not their hips or legs. So when I meet such a player, what I work with them on is a basic "dance" in which they sway from right to left, swinging their arms gently, turning their shoulders slightly, and pausing slightly, when they get to the right side or the left side.

I have them start with their arms down near their sides as they do this, and then slowly raise their arms out in front of them, hands close together. SO now as they sway, their arms are up almost straight out, they turn their shoulders some as they sway. We do this all with no bat.

Then we add the bat. They do the same basic dance. Then I get them to "freeze" when they have swayed to their right (right handed batter) or to their left (left handed batter). That's the starting point of one's swing.

From there we use a "batting stick" ... basically, its a ball on a stick. We have them do the dance some, freeze in the "ready to swing" position, and then we bring the ball on the stick where they can hit it. Then they continue the dance, and try to hit the ball.

They pick it up very quickly.

[AndyTiedye]

42. Fascinating Teaching Technique

I probably swung like that myself. I did practice with a ball stick, for all the good that did.
My problem was more fundamental: my reaction time was too long to hit a moving softball.

[backscatter712]

43. Martial arts and boxing also have moves that translate well into dancing.

I never was much of an athelete.

But when I was a teenager, one of the few athletic activities I enjoyed was karate. Probably because I did it outside of school, and thus bypassed the usual bullying associated with phys. ed.

But moves like punches and blocks, or the way you shift yourself around on your feet (watch any boxer on Friday Night Fights), and you'll see moves that can easily be translated into dance moves, and look good.

I suppose that's the point of the article in the OP.

[lumberjack_jeff]

30. I just love to watch John Wayne and Robert De Niro dance.

Okay.... well, Robert De Niro anyway.

Personally, I think you could take the same signals watching an expert and a novice split firewood.

[Luminous Animal]

33. For many years I have advised awkward young men... LEARN HOW TO DANCE!

Athletics are not required.

[AndyTiedye]

39. Most Dance Clubs are Too Crowded

If it's crowded, there may not be much room to move anything BUT the arms and upper body,
and what ever is going on further down won't be particularly visible anyway.

[WillyT]

40. DU Rec !!!

[AndyTiedye]

41. Makes You Smarter Too

http://socialdance.stanford.edu/syllabi/smarter.htm