VIDEO | Secrets of seductive dancing for men revealed

The key for men to look good on the dancefloor is to vary both their moves and the scale of them, according to research by psychologists at Northumbria University.

Contrary to what enthusiastic male dancers might think, waving their arms around is not considered sexy. Rather, women look closely at the neck, torso and right knee when eyeing up a man's moves.

The research, published in the Royal Society Journal Biology Letters, could be studied by men struggling to woo women by giving them tips on brushing up their technique.

There may be good reproductive reasons for women being turned off by bad dancing - as men with more rhythm and style could be seen as being stronger and fitter.

The study was led by psychologist Nick Neave, who believes dance movements may form honest signals of a man's reproductive quality, in terms of health, vigour or strength.

The researchers filmed 19 volunteers with 3D motion-capture technology dancing to a simple beat, then rendered them into faceless computer characters so women would not be influenced by the dancers' looks.

Then female volunteers watched on screens and rated their performance, allowing the scientists to work out which moves made the difference. Their perceptions of good dancing were influenced most by large and varied movements involving the neck and trunk.

Dr Neave said: "This is the first study to show objectively what differentiates a good dancer from a bad one. Men all over the world will be interested to know what moves they can throw to attract women."