Never Discount Dancing

Most women love dancing, even if they can’t dance. They love the idea of it rather like romance. Most romantic movies include a scene of a couple slow dancing, which means dancing is right up there with kissing. Let me clarify this by saying I am talking about slow dancing, ballroom, Latin and swing dancing, not fast dancing where the man appears to be having a seizure.

Some men refer to dancing as the ultimate foreplay. What other activity allows a man to ask an unknown woman to dance then promptly put his hands on her body?  I can’t think of any. At any dance, you’ll see women swaying to the beat on the sidelines with a wistful look on their face hoping someone will ask them to dance.

So why don’t men dance more? They think they will look stupid. Unlike football, they didn’t have too many occasions to have a pickup ballroom dancing experience. Well known dance studios tend to strong-arm people into expensive contracts that keep people away from lessons.

One comedian joked that slow dancing was just hugging with music. That’s true…knowing that, any man could dance. If you wanted to a little more pizazz in your style, look up classes in Parks and Recreation Department, which charge reasonable prices. 

My sweetie and I recently took lessons at a nearby restaurant. Most of the couples were older, but amazingly good dancers. I also noticed how much fun the couples had together. Dancing is a cooperative activity where the two participants learn to work together and trust each other.

Like anything, you don’t know, it take practice to become better. Did you hit a homerun the first time you were up to bat? Did you bowl a strike the first time you sent the bowling ball spinning down the aisle? Of course, not, it takes practice to be good at anything.

Couples need shared activity to keep them together. Too often marriages break up with the tired excuse that they drifted apart. I watched the various couples whirl across the dance floor envying their expertise and ease. One of the fleetest footed dancers was a tall gentleman in his eighties. All the women wanted to dance with him. Dancing can make a man into a sought after partner.

Somewhere along the line, men have associated the ability to dance with being gay. A guy who had his girl stolen by a man who could dance probably started this rumor. Ironically, women assume men who can dance will be a good at a variety of other physical activities too.

Height is not a prerequisite for being a good dancer either. I danced with our instructor who was probably a foot shorter than I was and made all the turns and flares with ease.  Therefore, you can’t use height, age, or even weight as a reason not to dance.

I realize finding a partner might make it hard to learn. Ask around. It is possible a friend, co-worker, or even a sibling would be willing to learn with you. Dancing is also a popular Meet-up group activity. Google it and see if a group meets in your area. Checkout Groupon or Living Social that often has a short three-class session on ballroom or wedding dancing. (Another reason you might want to learn how to dance.)

If you want to dance, but don’t feel like you’re ready for a partner. Check out some of the how to videos online. You’ll want one with actual partners as opposed to ones  for cardio fitness.

Once you learn how to dance. One or two dances are a good start. You’ll start looking for places where you can dance. You’ll be surprised at the various places, you’ll be able to exercise your new talent. If you’re online dating, you might look for dates who like to dance as opposed to shying away from them. Most will be anxious to work with a new dancer.

On a recent survey on what women wished men would do. Dancing was number #4.  Shaving was #2 as opposed to stubble face. #3 was dressing up, while #1 was a normal hairstyle. So think men, if you have a decent haircut, are clean-shaven, dress up some and can dance, you should improve your chances of meeting high caliber women.