It’s a well known fact that women like to dance more than men do. But why don’t men like to dance? Why won’t some men even give dancing a try? Why do some men avoid dancing like the plague?
While there are exceptions to every generalization, here are some common misconceptions men have about dancing.
o “Dancing is for wimps“. Some men associate dance as being effeminate or not a “manly” enough activity. Some men may associate “dancing” with “Ballet” and other types of highly choreographed and formalized art forms.
But it’s the opposite. Swing dancing is a partnered dance. It’s a lot of fun and a great social activity for men and women. On the dance floor, the man normally leads and the lady normally follows (although it’s fine for leaders to learn to follow, and followers to learn to lead). And we’ve all heard (and it’s true) how women are attracted to men that can dance.
o “I will look silly/I don’t want to look stupid“. I don’t blame you, I wouldn’t want to look silly or stupid either! And I agree that men can look silly when they get on the dance floor and just “wiggle” around or stand there like a statue.
But learning to dance is not that hard when it’s broken down. At Hepcats classes we break down steps and patterns and make it easy and fun to learn.
o “I need a two-drink minimum before I can dance.” I guess that’s okay if you just want to maybe rock back and forth or go around in circles. But if you want to learn how to partner dance to great music, then the Hepcats is the place for you!
o “I have two left feet, I have no sense of rhythm….” In our experience, if you can count to 8 and you know your left from your right foot, you can become a competent social dancer. Think about it for a minute. Even though women like to dance more than men, thousands and thousands of men have learned to dance; most of them just average Joe’s like you and me. So it can’t be that hard!
o “I hear what you’re saying, but dancing would just be too hard for me to learn.” The toughest thing about dancing is to sign up for classes and give it a try. Once you try it, you’ll learn and get it just like everybody else does.
Conclusion
We’ve all been there and seen it before. It’s a bar or a nightclub or some such place, with more men than women at these places, but more women than men on the dance floor. Why aren’t the men on the dance floor? Often they are lined along the wall or sitting at a table, watching and wondering, wishing they could dance and be a part of the action….
Anyone that has ever learned to dance had to start somewhere. So give it a try – learn to swing dance with the Mike & Mary!