Suzanne's Mom's Blog

Photo: Roy Riley.
Robin Woods, from Devon, UK, was crowned World Dad Dancing champion at Dadfest last year. The Dadfest is judged by children.

When in the mood, both my son and son-in-law have at different times been known to perform some pretty inspired Dad Dancing, a zaniness that tends to affect all other potential dancers in the vicinity. We have videos.

As it happens, Dad Dancing is good for health.

Linda Geddes reports at the Guardian, “In his early 20s, Prince William was often seen stumbling out of night clubs after a night of grooving. Now, however, as though a clock has struck 12, this youthful cavorting appears to have transformed into something altogether more cringeworthy: dad dancing.

‘In a viral video captured at a Taylor Swift concert, the heir to the throne was filmed with his arms aloft, chest shimmying swiftly – and somewhat stiffly – to the beat. … Experts argue that dad dancing should be celebrated, not slated, for the numerous benefits it can bring.

“ ‘When I look at Prince William dancing, I just see someone who’s smiling, he’s happy, and dance does those amazing things,’ said Dr Peter Lovatt (AKA Dr Dance), the head of dance psychology at Movement in Practice and author of The Dance Cure. …

“Dr Nick Neave at Northumbria University, found that young women judged men to be good dancers if they had a varied repertoire and more moves that involved tilting and twisting the torso and neck – although most men display highly repetitive moves involving their arms and legs, but not the rest of their bodies. …

“As well as boosting familiarity and trust, other studies have suggested that improvised dancing – or ‘groovy moving’ – also changes the way we think and solve problems.

“Lovatt said: ‘We know that anxiety and depression are associated with being stuck in negative patterns of thinking, and when people engage in dance, those negative thoughts get disrupted for a while. There’s a lifting in their mood and they break away from those set patterns of thinking.’

“To Dr Ian Blackwell, a visiting lecturer at Plymouth Marjon University and the organizer of the World Dad Dancing Championships, the scrutiny of William’s dancing is a reflection of how society still expects men to conform, and not express themselves. ‘It’s a shame that anytime that a dad gets up to move, it has negative connotations – it’s embarrassing for him and the children, it’s embarrassing for the public. We know the value of dancing for health, wellbeing and making friends. It’s something that we should celebrate.’

“Despite further research by Lovatt suggesting some men avoid dancing because they fear being judged, men’s confidence in their dancing abilities usually grows as they get older – and once they hit their mid-60s, it ‘goes through the roof.’

“The reigning World Dad Dancing champion, Robin Woods, a father of three from Paignton in Devon, said he has not been shy about sharing his triumph on Facebook. ‘I think the people that know me from when I used to go out a lot – and always ended up on the dance floor – were pleased that I’ve finally been recognized,’ he chuckled. ‘It’s a nice thing – it’s not a serious thing – and so it’s fine that I’m making fun of myself.’

“Woods, who describes his usual dancing style as ‘freestyle’ with influences from James Brown and Michael Jackson, was not even sure what dad dancing involved when he entered the competition, which is judged by children and takes place at DadFest in Devon each September. ‘I just assumed it would be a bit more enthusiastic and amateurish than normal dancing – so, I just went for it and exaggerated everything I did.’

“He claimed the title after a hard-fought dance-off with two other finalists performed to ‘Mr Brightside’ by The Killers and ‘Baby Shark’ by Pinkfong.

“Blackwell said that while the clip of William’s dancing was too short to judge whether he could be in with a chance of winning, ‘he would be very welcome to come to DadFest in September so we can see the full extent of his moves and whether he’s got a decent Lawnmower Starter, Big Fish, Little Fish, John Travolta, or Lasso.’ ”

More at the Guardian, here, including a photo of Taylor Swift with Prince William. No firewall.