According to Recent Study, Good Female Dancing Is About the Hips

In a study published earlier this year in Scientific Reports, it was determined that the swaying of the hips was a huge factor in determining good female dancing. For the study, 39 women were filmed dancing. The women's images were then turned into avatars, so people would not be distracted by facial expressions, clothing, or other factors. Two hundred people, both men and women, were shown the videos of the avatars dancing. They were then told to rate the dancers on their dance moves.

Swaying hips and being in sync with the rhythm were among the most appealing dance qualities. Less appealing were the dancers who either waved their arms around wildly or who made almost no movement with their arms and legs, keeping their limbs close to their bodies. Nick Neave, an associate professor of psychology at Northumbra University in England and one of the paper's authors said:

To be able to move independently and do different things with different limbs, it is a good overall sign of the cortical motor skills. We think it shows intelligence and creativity.

According to the study, good dancing is in part a way to show off qualities people are seeking in a mate, including coordination, strength, intelligence, and creativity, which is why those demonstrating those skills in the study were seen as the best dancers. Of course, for many people, dancing is not about attracting a potential mate. Instead, it is about simply having fun.

Whether you are looking to take social dance lessons to impress a potential love interest or you want to take them simply to become a better, more coordinated dancer, contact us. We offer lessons in a variety of ballroom and Latin dance styles.