by In his early 20s, Prince William was often seen dropping out of nightclubs after a night of crying. Now, however, as the clock has struck 12 o’clock, it seems that this childhood horror has morphed into something wiser: a dancing dad.
In a viral video captured at a Taylor Swift concert, the heir to the throne was filmed with his hands up, chest heaving rapidly – and slightly stiffly – to the beat.
At Glastonbury this weekend, thousands of men will be “shaking it off” in a similarly energetic way.
Although scientific studies have confirmed that older men dance differently to their younger counterparts – and this may have evolved as a way to signal their declining biological fitness – experts argue that dad dancing is celebrated, rather than mentioned, because of the many benefits it can bring. give.
“When I watch Prince William dance, all I see is someone who’s smiling, he’s happy, and dance does those wonderful things,” said Dr Peter Lovatt (AKA Dr Dance), head of dance psychology at Movement in Practice and author of The. Dance Medicine.
“We know that dancing is very good for social bonding, and when people dance together they report that they like and trust each other. Even when you’re dancing with strangers, you get those influences of greater confidence and familiarity.”
Lovatt became interested in the phenomenon of daddy dancing after various studies indicated that their hormones influenced the way people groove and boogie, and women rated men who were exposed to levels high testosterone in the womb as dancers more attractive and masculine.
Skeptical of such claims, Lovatt began bringing people into his laboratory and testing them for himself. He even temporarily moved his lab to a nightclub and took short video samples of hundreds of people dancing, as well as testing their hormone exposure, and then asked others to rate their moves for attractiveness , dominance, masculinity and femininity.
“What we found was that their hormonal and genetic makeup influenced the way people move in males and females, and when people watch others dance, their attractiveness ratings change as a function of how they move. they are moving. ,” Lovatt said.
High-testosterone men usually coordinate large movements in different parts of their body, which makes their outline more interesting, and breaks the rhythm of the music, rather than dancing firmly to the beat.
In separate research, carried out by Dr Nick Neave at Northumbria University, it was found that young women believed that men were good dancers if they had a different repertoire and more movements that involved tilting the torso and neck and to turn – although most men show very repetitive movements with their arms. and legs, but not the rest of their body.
Such studies may suggest that human dancing plays a similar role to the elaborate courtship dances used by some birds and animals to attract a mate. “Maybe when we’re young and in our jobs, we’re communicating something about how great our hormones and our genes are,” Lovatt said, comparing the male going aged and browning apple in the middle of a fruit bowl.
“It’s been suggested that as we get older, we’re showing that we’re perhaps less fertile, less attractive and less attractive in the way we dance.”
However, he feels uncomfortable reducing the evolutionary importance of dance to this single factor. As well as building experience and confidence, other studies have suggested that improvisational dancing – or “grouping” – can change the way we think and solve problems.
Lovatt said: “We know that anxiety and depression are linked to being stuck in negative thought patterns, and when people dance, those negative thoughts are disrupted for a while. Their mood is lifted and they break away from those fixed thought patterns.”
For Dr Ian Blackwell, a visiting lecturer at Plymouth Marjon University and organizer of the Dad Dance World Championships, the scrutiny of William’s dance is an indication of how society still expects men to conform, and not express themselves. “It’s a shame that any time a dad moves, it has negative connotations – it’s embarrassing for him and for the children, it’s embarrassing for the community.
“We know the value of dancing for health, fitness and making friends. It’s something we should celebrate.”
Despite further research by Lovatt suggesting that some men avoid dancing for fear of being judged, men’s confidence in their ability to dance tends to increase as they age – and when they reach in his mid-60s, he goes “through the roof”.
Reigning World Dad Dance champion Robin Woods, a father-of-three from Paignton in Devon, said he wasn’t shy about sharing his win on Facebook. “I think the people who knew me from when I used to go out often – and who were always on the dance floor – were happy that I was finally recognized,” he said.
“It’s nice – it’s not serious – so it’s nice that I’m making fun of myself.”
Woods, who describes his usual dance style as “freestyle” with influences from James Brown and Michael Jackson, wasn’t even sure what dad dance was when he entered the competition, which is judged by children and takes place at DadFest in Devon every September. “I assumed it would be a bit more enthusiastic and amateurish than the usual dance – so I went for it and exaggerated everything I did.”
He claimed the title after an intense dance-hour battle with two other competitors who performed Mr Brightside’s The Killers and Pinkfong’s Baby Shark.
Blackwell said that while the clip of William’s dance was too short to determine whether he might be able to win, “he would be very welcome to come to DadFest in September so we can see the full extent of his movements and whether. Starter got a good Lawnmower, Big Fish, Little Fish, John Travolta, or Lasso.”
A visual guide to the daddy dance
Robin Woods, the reigning Dad Dance Champion of the World, shows off some classic moves to get men dancing – plus one of his own.
Lawnmower starter
Clamp your front foot down forward to an imaginary petrol lawn mower, then whip your hand several times with a fist clenched up, as if you are trying to start the machine.
Game Rusty Robot
Similar to body robot movement, but more rustic, this internationally recognized dance move involves mimicking the mechanical movements of the much-loved Tin Man robot.
Champagne
Imagine you are a miner bending over a pneumatic drill, and press your hands up and down to the beat of the drums.
Dad Diop
One of Wood’s own inventions, this award-winning move involves leaning back and landing on one hand, then pushing yourself back up and landing on the other hand. “I’ve been doing it for years,” Woods said. “Maybe I found that I could do it without falling again.”
Baby sharks
A dance for the whole family – doo doo, doo doo, doo doo. It involves mimicking the movements of the baby, mama, papa, grandma and grandpa sharks as they swim.
