Why are Male Dancers So Scarce?

We will take a brief look at the fall of the concept of men dancing in modern society, and what has driven it close to extinction. Once upon a time, men mastered the dance floor in order to fall in line with everyone else who would show up for social gatherings at balls decades gone by.

A look at the progression of the dancing scene

There used to be an era when dancing was essential and a central part of society, as well as a way for men and women to meet in a safe and fun place. You couldn’t be a man and step into any kind of party, celebration or club without knowing your steps and taking the dance floor like the next Fred Astaire or Gene Kelly.

Unfortunately today, not only are many fewer men dancing, but social dancing is just about dead. Surely, you can still come across the inadvertant club scene, wedding, swing club, or formal dancing lessons, but recently the majority of social occasions are just loud music blasing, people chatting and knocking back their drinks while lazing about. If anyone gets the urge to dance it up these days, it’s the women.

Why do modern men avoid dancing?

The fact is, freestyle dancing has become the fad for those few who still kick up their feet for fun or a career. The issue is even when you find a couple, which is probably the only way you’ll find a man on the dance floor now, is that people are afraid they will judge each other. You can couple that with the psychological aspect that men tend to feel like they are performing and also getting judged by each person in the room with them.

Most guys don’t like to be showoffs, and dancing has taken on a reputation, especially with straight men to be a girls thing. Guys consider themselves too manly to do a few spins around the floor. Recent history supports the theory of being judged as popular culture has seen a rise in the mocking and laughing at a male dancer who isn’t cutting the grade.

It may be safe to say that reflecting upon and digressing to earlier days when groups of men and women would get together just to dance and share a few drinks and conversations in formal wear, that there could be a resurgence of male dancers other than the ones you see on television or in films.

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Why not grab your first pair of dancing shoes gentleman, grab your mate or your closest female or male friend you feel comfortable with and get some lessons under your belt? Put together a group that gets together every once in a while to make it a practice in today’s society once again. Most of all, just have a blast!