19
Reasons why Women Love to Dance
By Joe Donato,
all rights reserved © 2007
It’s no secret that most women love to dance. They just love it. It’s one of those unexplained mysteries of the universe that can easily be observed without having to be studied and tested to be believed. It’s right up there with chocolate, shoes, pickles, babies, Hugh Grant, and that Sex and the City show. But being the melancholic analyst I am, I cannot help but to explore some of these mysteries and glean what wisdom I can from probing and asking why?
I’ll visit Hugh Grant some other day, but in the meantime, I have to ask; why do women love dancing so much when lots of men could take it or leave it? Six months ago, I posed this question on a dance forum website seeking answers from actual women. Here are 18 responses to the question, unhindered by any testosterone influenced ideologies and opinions.
My opinion, albeit a humble one, is the 19th…
1 - "It’s great exercise, but with music and creativity instead of just machines and boring repetition."
2 - "When you get good at it, the connection between a man and a woman feels great. It is a non-verbal communication that allows an immediate positive result."
3 - "It has artistic possibilities. There is an opportunity to express oneself, in harmony with another person."
4 - "It is cooperative. Working with a man is more rewarding than competing with him."
5 - "It builds a sense of worth and body self esteem. Being able to move beautifully, makes you feel better about your body."
6 - "It is social without being too demanding. Being part of a dance environment allows you to get to know others who are interested in dancing. But, it is not so demanding that you have to show up every time. If you stop for a while and then come back, people are still glad to see you."
7 - "It provides an opportunity for mastery and recognition for achievement. For those interested in dance as an art or a sport, this is very important."
8 - "A good dance partnership can be a great relationship, providing companionship in learning, fun in play, mastery in achievement, and unity and self-expression in performance."
9 - "Some women love to dance because it’s good way to socialize with men and women."
10 - "Dancing with a good dancer makes you feel like you are in seventh heaven."
11 - "Dancing with your intimate partner is like having safe sex in the public place."
12 - "Where can you sell yourself better?"
13 - "There are no women who love to dance with bad dancers (unless he is a very handsome one!)"
14 - "Dance, whether it is ballroom, ballet, contemporary, hip-hop, etc., is a form of self-expression. It is the oldest form of communication known to mankind, when the rhythm patterns made by foot movement, preceded speech. Through cultural mores, self-expression amongst men became stifled and rhythm suppressed, as dancing was considered effeminate, whereas women have always been more free to explore their creative inner selves."
15 - "Dancing can be compared to acting, because on the dance floor, the different "character" of each dance can be felt and transmitted, just as the actor portrays his or her particular role in a play or movie. Westernized men have more inhibitions to shed about close body contact, in order to achieve the same degree of freedom of self-expression as women. Women are able to separate sex from sensuality and convey the message of the dance without reservation."
16 - "Dance is grace, poise, passion, joy - it is life!"
17 - "It gives me a legitimate excuse to buy more shoes and dresses."
18 - "Isn’t that the truth!! It gives me an excuse to make dresses that are flattering and flow and move to the movement. And of course, one can never have enough shoes. I only wish my budget and space was sufficient to have all the shoes that I want."
19 - Though I agree with all of these, I still feel there is another reason. In trying to see the forest for the trees, I finally think I figured it out! Though women may say “duuhhh” to this, In my opinion, if I had to sum it up in one sentence, it’s not just because it makes them feel light and free and all that, but because it makes them feel beautiful.
Women don’t always have that option in today’s society, even though every relationship in every movie hinges on the woman being the most beautiful creation on the planet and every product on the market targeted at women tries to offer that promise. Even women I’ve known over the years who aren’t looking for a significant other, admit to the importance of being able to attract one. Even if they don’t want one in that particular season of their life, they still need to know that they can get one. Why? Perhaps because there is a chance that person might make them feel beautiful. And though so many other things in this world fail to meet that promise, with the right guidance, and with only a few key factors met, dancing delivers.
Every time I teach a new couple the Tango, and tell the Tango story of “pursuit”, it never fails to put a smile on the woman’s face. At the dance studio where I was employed for years, we were trained to refer to Cinderella, Snow white, and every other Disney Heroine during the Waltz introduction. Many female students knowingly admit they do not feel like Cinderella or Snow White, or Sleeping Beauty in the first few lessons, but they stick with it, because they believe that will all change. And despite what you might think from watching movies and television, dancing is NOT about looking like a Disney heroine or movie star. It’s about feeling like one. And I am a firm believer that looking good is a by-product of first feeling good. No amount of lipstick, blush, bowtox, spandex, hairspray, perfume, airbrushing, or celluloid frames can make a woman’s eyes light up from the inside or force a genuine smile from her lips. But dancing with a good partner can, and does.
Well, another mystery of the universe solved! With all that being said, I invite you to read the companion article “Why Men Don’t Dance”. Thanks for reading! -Ballroom Joe