Women are far more likely than men to say that they dance when they're alone
For people scared of dancing, the season of holiday parties can prompt the same terror as an invitation to a wedding. For many of us dancing can be an ordeal of sweaty palms and jitters, at least until we begin to feel the music and a fake smile becomes a genuine one. But people may feel differently in the privacy of their own homes.
Research from YouGov shows that roughly as many Americans say that they dance alone (53%) as dance in public (54%). A large majority of women say that they dance when they're in private and by themselves (66%), but only 39% of men admit to busting a few moves behind closed doors.
This gap narrows when it comes to dancing in public. 8% more men will dance in public (47%) than in private (39%), while the percentage of women who will dance in public drops to 60%, from 66% of women who say they dance alone.
When faced with the potentially nerve-wracking sight of a dance floor, 22% of the public say flat out that they will not dance, ever. A further 18% say that they'll only dance if every single other person has begun to dance. People aged 45-64 are the most likely to refuse to dance (28%), and people under the age of 30 are the least likely.
Only 13% of Americans say that they'll be the person to kick off the dancing, with Hispanic Americans (19%) being the most likely to be dance enthusiasts. A further 19% will join in once someone else has begun to dancing. For the remaining 28% of Americans, they'll join in on the fun once there's a crowd (17%), or at least if most people have begun to dance (11%).
When asked how much encouragement people need to begin to dance, 27% say that they need no encouragement, while 24% need a few friends to get them into the swing of things. Just over a quarter of Americans (27%) say that they need a few drinks in them before they'll strut their stuff in front of a crowd.
Full poll results can be found here.
