Dancing may provide clues about a male dancer’s physical strength and fitness, which can be picked up by both men and women observers, according to a new study. Men pick up clues about other men’s physical qualities from their dance moves just as women do, found researchers at Northumbria University, UK. The findings suggest that male observers pick up on the strength of their potential rivals for female mates.
The study, led by psychologist Dr Nick Neave and researcher Kristofor McCa-rty, used 3D motion-capture technology and biomechanical analyses to examine the extent to which male dancing provides clues about the dancer’s physical strength and fitness to both male and female observers. Researc-hers at Northumbria’s School of Life Sciences filmed 30 males, aged 19 to 37, as they danced to a basic drum rhythm.