9 Reasons You Just Need To Date A Dancer

There’s no denying that there’s something about dancing that inspires passion. Even though I’m a dancer myself, watching other dancers pull off ridiculously hard (not to mention incredibly sexy) moves without breaking a sweat still leaves me in awe.

Trust me. When it comes to dating one, you’ll need to prepare yourself for an intense love affair. What’s better than someone who could keep you on your toes?

You can’t take the lead and make things work without following your partner’s cues. So if you’re looking for someone whose vision of love is en pointe with yours, these nine reasons to date a dancer will prove that they’re the best candidate, barre none.

1. They’re Attentive.

With the amount of practice that goes into perfecting hours of choreography—not including the time spent warming up and exercising—it only makes sense that dancers have great memory and pay attention to detail. According to Psychology Today, practice actually maximizes the brain’s cognitive function by “blending cerebral and cognitive thought processes with muscle memory and ‘proprioception’ held in the cerebellum”.

Warmups help a dancer’s muscle memory. This gives a whole new meaning to foreplay (cough).

University of California at Santa Barbara’s Scott Grafton, M.D. and Emily Cross, M.S. also found that a strong connection exists between learning dance routines physically as well as through observation. What’s more enticing than a partner who is observant when it comes to the big and little things?

Not having to worry about your love forgetting any important dates is more than enough reason to take that leap of faith.

2. They’re Ridiculously Skilled.

…In more ways than one. When it comes to their impeccable skills, dancers have a certain ‘je ne sais quoi’ about them that can’t be imitated. Whether they are on the dance floor or in the bedroom, their technique will do more than charm you.

In a survey by Sex expert Flic Everett, which analyzed women’s perception of the correlation between a male dancer’s expertise to his sexual prowess, it was revealed that over 80 percent of the participants believed that men with less dance experience would also perform poorly in their sex life.

If you want to keep up, you’re going to have to know all of the right moves.

3. They’re Health Gurus.

According to the AARP, one of the benefits of dancing is that it can lower the risk of copious diseases including depression, heart disease and high blood pressure. They’re also pros when it comes to choosing a healthy diet, which means that if you ever need someone to care for you when you’re feeling under the weather, your partner has got you covered.

4. They’re Brainiacs.

If the thought of dating someone who can go toe-to-toe with you in a battle of wits gets you hot and bothered, you’re in luck. Daniel Amen, M.D. confirmed that dancers are remarkably brilliant as “[f]ew activities stimulate as wide a variety of brain systems as dancing does.”

Need further proof? A team of researchers from Albert Einstein College of Medicine conducted a study over the course of 21 years to figure out which physical activity improved mental acuity in senior citizens.

The results? Dancing regularly reduced the risk of dementia by a staggering 76 percent. If that isn’t reason enough to waltz on over to your perfect match, we don’t know what is.

5. They’re Incredibly Fit.

According to LivingHealthy360, dance training can work the muscles in your abs, legs, hips and butt, which explains their sexy physique. Sara Dray of LiveStrong backed this up by saying that “Not only does it work all major muscle groups, but it also requires coordination, flexibility and strength … which means it is good for your body and mind.”

Shakira, eat your heart out.

6. They’re Flexible.

We’re not just talking about their impressive—and totally hot—body bending capabilities. If they can find the time in their busy schedule to workout, they are more than capable of putting in the effort to plan romantic dates. And if they’re really fond of you, there’s no question that they’d jump through hoops to make you happy.

7. They Have A High Endurance Level.

Shaking things up on the dance floor with little effort is all in a day’s work. Because it doubles as an aerobic exercise, dancing builds up stamina and endurance, two things that could come in handy for other strenuous activities. Wink, wink.

8. They’re Attractive Because They’re Well-Balanced.

Literally. A study on LiveScience hinted that there is a relationship between body symmetry and attractiveness, stating that “[w]omen watching the recordings [of dancers filmed via motion capture cameras] preferred the dances of men who were more symmetrical, while men were more impressed by the dances of more symmetric females.”

Senior Astrophysicist Mario Livio echoed this statement after research surfaced that it is a part of human nature to base attraction on body symmetry. Being able to find their core relates to their love life; dancers have to dig deep within themselves to understand who they are on the inside. Could there be anything sexier?

9. They’re Happier.

It’s no secret that dancing can be therapeutic, hence why it is commonly used as a stress reliever. The turn-out of this is that those who dance for a living are not only less stressed, they’re happier. Researchers from Sweden’s Center for Health Care Sciences found that dancing exponentially increases feelings of euphoria after analyzing the effects dance had on the mental health of over 100 female participants.

There’s no better lover than someone who will be able to make you smile when your mood needs a major lift.

So what are you waiting for? Grab your partner and go tango!

This post originally appeared at YourTango.