There are multiple reasons why we find certain people attractive. It's usually a mishmash of personality, physical features, and how they make us feel when we're around them.But on a deeper level, most of these reasons can be linked to evolution. Many of the traits we find attractive are indicators of health, virility, fertility, social status, intelligence, and social competence.
Dance is a way humans have attempted to attract one another since the dawn of time. Two recent studies have shown that heterosexual men and women have distinct preferences in the type of dancing they find attractive. Their findings can help us determine whether we should be strutting our stuff on the dance floor or taking our chances striking up some conversation at the bar.
A study by Psychologists at Northumbria University in Newcastle, England used computer-generated avatars to uncover the secret to what makes a man a good dancer, according to heterosexual women.
The researchers recruited 19 men, attached reflectors to their clothing, and had them dance to German dance music. The researchers created faceless avatars of the dancing men and turned them into 15-second clips.
"Men all over the world will be interested to know what moves they can throw to attract women," psychologist Nick Neave said. "If a man knows what the key moves are, he can get some training and improve his chances of attracting a female through his dance style."
Giphy | Dancing Queen Happy Dance GIF
Researchers discovered that women tend to be drawn to men who move their upper bodies, use a lot of space, and vary their movements. (So apparently manspreading is ok, if it's on the dance floor.)
They also noted a bizarre preference for men who used faster bending and twisting movements of their right knee.
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The researchers believe that it's because 80% of all people are right-footed, so most people "are putting their weight on their left leg and using that leg as an anchor while the right can do more fancy things," Neave suggested. "It is a bit of an odd finding, so we need more studies to see if this feature is replicated."
Psychologists in the U.K. measured what heterosexual men find attractive on the dance floor by asking 39 female college students to dance to a Robbie Williams song.
Like the men, motion capture was used to create a faceless avatar that ensured the women were judged by their dance moves, not other attributes.
Here's the type of dancing that the men weren't feeling.
This article originally appeared two years ago.
Here's the type of dancing the men found attractive.
Caption: Example of an avatar of a female rated as a ‘good dancer’Credit: Northumbria UniversityThe men preferred women who included bigger swings of the hips and asymmetrical leg movements—meaning the two legs were moving differently. They also liked medium levels of asymmetric arm movements.
The researchers believe that the hip-swinging was deemed attractive because it could be a sign of fertility. They also remarked that arm movement was fine "so long as this limb independence does not verge into uncontrolled pathological movement," the paper notes.
Giphy | Moves Dancing GIF
So none of this.
The studies are a good jumping-off point for those of us who want to appear competent when strutting ourselves in front of the opposite sex. But they shouldn't be seen as the definitive word on how to boogie.
Plus, the study doesn't even touch upon those who are looking to entice someone who isn't heterosexual.
"Dance is strongly influenced by culture," says Neave, "so there may be some cultural differences in specific movements or gestures."
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Ketel Marte was brought to tears during an MLB game after facing a shameful fan taunt.
Baseball manager's poignant support for a player brought to tears after shameful fan taunt
Whether they’re expecting perfection from their favorite players or, worse, behaving callously toward opposing teams, sports fans often forget that athletes are human beings. But athletic competition has the ability to unify and uplift, even amid such painful and unpleasant encounters. Take, for example, a major-league baseball game held June 24, 2025 between the home team Chicago White Sox and visiting Arizona Diamondbacks.
A shameful low point occurred when Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte was at bat in the seventh inning. Per ESPN, a fan reportedly yelled out a comment regarding Marte’s late mother, Elpidia Valdez, who died in a 2017 car accident in the Dominican Republic. Team personnel, including manager Torey Lovullo, then requested the 22-year-old fan be ejected. (Though he was remorseful and admitted his actions were inappropriate, according to an ESPN source, he was nonetheless banned indefinitely from all MLB ballparks.) "We commend the White Sox for taking immediate action in removing the fan," the MLB said in a statement. Marte reportedly declined to comment.
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While the fan’s behavior is inexcusable, it did spark a powerful and inspiring moment. After hearing the comment, Marte was visibly upset, prompting Lovullo to walk on the field, put his arm around him, and offer some words of encouragement. "[I said,] 'I love you, and I’m with you, and we’re all together, and you’re not alone,'" Lovullo said in a post-game interview, as documented by The Rich Eisen Show. "'No matter what happens, no matter what was said or what you’re heard, that guy is an idiot.’"
According to Arizona Republic, Lovullo heard the fan’s comment but didn’t want to repeat it. “I looked right at [Marte] when I heard,” he said. “I looked right at him, and he looked at the person, as well. He put his head down and I could tell it had an immediate impact on him, for sure."
Elsewhere in the post-game interview, the manager called the moment "terrible" and reflected on why he stood up for Marte. "Fans are nasty, and fans go too far sometimes," he said. "I love my players, and I’m gonna protect them…I’ve known Ketel for nine years. He’s had some unbelievably great moments and some hardships as well and some really tough moments in his life. I know those. At the end of the day, we’re human beings, and we have emotions. I saw him hurting, and I wanted to protect him."
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The following day, the Chicago White Sox X account sent out a message in support of Marte, writing, "We’re with you" and "Baseball is family." On The Rich Eisen Show, the show's host addressed the need to eradicate this kind of toxic athlete-fan interaction: "I was hearing [people saying], 'There’s no place for this in major league baseball.' There isn’t. There’s no place for this in our society. I understand that people are saying the MLB has got to do something about this. Fans have a right to heckle players—this is something that has happened forever…But there is a line."
In another recent, depressing sports moment with a beautiful coda, let’s look to Game 7 of the NBA Finals between the Indiana Pacers and the eventual champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder. During the first quarter, Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton tore his right Achilles tendon—a devastating injury that could potentially sideline him for most of the 2025-2026 season. Following the game, in a lovely display of sportsmanship, Thunder point-guard and league MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander went to the Pacers locker room to check on his competitor. In a press conference, he said, "You just hate to see it, in sports in general. But in this moment, my heart dropped for him. I can't imagine playing the biggest game of my life and something like that happening. It’s so unfortunate."
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