The festive gathering is in full swing, and you’ve consumed a few glasses of sparkling wine before stepping onto the sticky dancefloor. To your surprise, Fred from the accounting department appears more attractive as he strikes out some wild moves. In close proximity, Ian from the IT department is dancing with enthusiasm, as if nobody is observing him. Have you ever contemplated why you feel apprehensive about dancing while others exude confidence? Dr. Peter Lovatt, a senior psychology lecturer from the University of Hertfordshire, explains that it’s dependent on age, gender, and genetic makeup.
Dr. Lovatt, also known as Dr. Dance on campus, concluded a major research project into dance, which involved examining 13,700 individuals’ responses to an online video of him dancing – a former professional dancer. In the video, he demonstrated different dance moves and then requested the participants to rate the performance. He also asked individuals to imagine themselves dancing at a wedding or a disco and estimate how good they were in comparison to the average dancer.
The research was part of a study investigating "dance confidence" (DC)- the element that differentiates you from those glued to their seat by the bar versus getting up to dance, and how it changes throughout the lifespan of an individual. Lovatt quips, "First and foremost, if you believe that you’re a better dancer than the majority, you’re not alone. The average DC level was significantly higher than expected, suggesting that most individuals assume they’re better dancers than an average person of their gender and age group."
The findings also indicate a significant difference in how women and men develop DC. Girls under 16 years of age recorded the highest levels. "At this age, dancing is for enjoyment. They dance on their own, with friends, or in formal dance classes to have a good time," explains Lovatt. However, once teenage girls pass their 16th birthday, there is a significant drop. "As teenagers start dancing publicly in front of members of the opposite sex, as dance begins to form part of the sexual selection process for the first time, dancing confidence may undergo a substantial reduction."
From then until the age of 35, women’s DC rises steadily. "They are moving through the mate-selection and reproduction cycle, so they will be more confident in the behaviours that form part of this process, such as recreational dancing", states Lovatt. However, after 55, that pattern reverses. "From then, DC drops steadily and significantly. This is not astonishing since the perception of dance ability has a direct connection to fertility-based courtship displays, and this is a post-menopausal stage of life."
It’s a different narrative for boys, nevertheless. The pre-16 peak seen in the female data was not observed, and instead, DC rose every year until middle age, then flattened before sharply increasing at 65. "The remarkable rise in rates for older men might be due to women’s DC going down in partner situations. Therefore men might be less intimidated by women’s confidence. Separate research findings indicate that optimistic individuals are less likely to be diagnosed with life-threatening diseases than their pessimistic counterparts. Therefore, our sample of older men may consist of optimistic individuals who have survived longer than their pessimistic peers."
However, genetics is not the only motivator that inspires one to dance. "People dance for social bonding and mate-selection purposes," Lovatt says. "It’s also good for health and fitness, and people dance to enjoy themselves. Some dance because it is deemed an obligation, and dance has been used to demonstrate strength and fearlessness, such as the traditional Maori haka dance."
Lovatt is confident that his own experience demonstrates that dance can provide confidence that spills over into other areas of life. He suffered from profound reading difficulties at school and left with no qualifications. He was unable to read until he was 23. "I taught myself to read while working as a dancer in theatres," he says. "I was surrounded by talent and thought it was ridiculous that I couldn’t read, so I just sat down and, very slowly, learned."
Subsequently, Lovatt studied A-levels before earning a degree in psychology and English at the Roehampton Institute. Ultimately, he earned a PhD and obtained a senior researcher position at Cambridge University. Presently, he combines dance with research on the psychology of performing arts at the University of Hertfordshire, where he also operates an onsite dance laboratory, highlighting his exciting research. "Beautiful women of high genetic quality with symmetrical features have been observed to innately select men of equal high-quality genetic features." he notes. "Even when these women were shown videos of the men dancing, they couldn’t see their faces; they devoured the performances. Conversely, women of lower genetic quality who watched the same videos, believed all the men were excellent", Lovatt explains.
Lovatt’s research has discovered some intriguing insights into how men can captivate women’s attention during the festive season. According to her findings, women are more drawn to men who employ medium-sized yet intricate movements compared to those who rely on simple, small movements. Additionally, if a woman is seeking a dominant and attractive man, she tends to gravitate towards larger and more complex movements. On the other hand, if she desires an alluring yet submissive man, she leans towards those with smaller but intricate movements. Interestingly, those who exhibit simple, small movements are perceived as unappealing, weak, and feminine. However, for those contemplating enrolling in dance classes to improve their movement, Lovatt cautions that such lessons may only serve to mask one’s genetic expression, likening the experience to plastic surgery.