The female dance moves that are the most highly rated are
pinpointed in a new study in Scientific Reports this week following
research by two academics from Northumbria University in Newcastle.
The authors; Dr Nick Neave and Dr Kristofor McCarty, found
that in women the degree of hip swing and asymmetric movements of the thighs
and arms contribute independently to a perceived higher quality of dance.
Using 3D motion-caption, the researchers recorded 39 women
whilst they danced to a basic rhythm provided by a drum beat. The authors
rendered their movement patterns onto computer avatars, thereby retaining their
distinguishing movements, but removing all information about their individual
appearance. 57 men and 143 women were then asked to rate the dancing ability of
each of the 39 avatars based on a 15 second section of video footage. The
authors compared the ratings to quantified measurements of the dancers’ moves.
The authors found that three types of movements made
independent contributions to perceived female dance quality. Higher ratings
were awarded to dances that involved greater hip swing, more asymmetric thigh
movements and an intermediate level of asymmetric arm movements, compared to
the rest of the sample. The authors suggest that movements that distinguish
high-quality dancers may have a functional significance. For example, hip swing
might be an emphatically feminine trait, and the ability to move limbs
independently of each other, may attest to well-developed motor control.
Dr Neave said: “A number of studies have looked at traits
that can attract potential partners but there has been little research into the
form and significance of attractive dance and what role it has in human
courtship and partner selection. To help us understand what dance movements can
convey to potential partners we need to know which dance movements are
appealing. The next stage would be to look at what these movements signify, we
suspect that they all form honest cues to reproductive potential, health and
personality.”
Previous research carried out by the academics looked at
male dance quality and found that better male dancers used more movements of
their upper body, they went on to find that stronger men were perceived as
being the best dancers.
The research is available to view at http://nature.com/articles/doi:10.1038/srep42435
