How Dancing Can Fix Your Online Dating Profile

Just for fun, let’s ruin everything.

Okay, maybe not everything, but just your dating profile. Maybe in the process of destroying it, we can rebuild it, and learn something in the process.

Here’s an example of how to tank your profile in ten easy steps:

1. My Status: “What do you think!?”

2. Housing: Mention that your condo was featured on the show “Hoarders”

3. Hobbies: List all your favorite government conspiracy theories

4. Profile Picture: Use a mugshot, a picture of you crying, or some combination of the two

5. Vehicle: Late model minivan. Bonus points for Mom in the driver’s seat.

6. Employment: Insert same answer as #3

7. Describe your Style: Hospital gown.

8. Education: List bad breakups, using real names, from previous relationships in ALL CAPS.

9. Religion: World of Warcraft, or your game of choice.

10. About Me: Proclaim that you hate dancing and all people who do it.

Why That Last One Matters More Than You Think

Here’s the thing about online dating that nobody tells you: The hobbies you list say more about you than your job title or your height. When someone reads your profile, they’re not just looking at facts – they’re imagining what a life with you would look like.

And “hates dancing” paints a very specific picture. It says “I don’t try new things.” It says “I’m not willing to be uncomfortable.” It says “fun is negotiable.”

In fact, the opposite is also true. Listing dancing as a hobby immediately signals that you’re social, active, and willing to put yourself out there.

How to Recover From the Above 10 Missteps

Now it’s time to rebuild things a bit.

If you haven’t heard already, we interviewed some dating experts, and they all agreed that learning to dance can improve your dating profile. So let’s put things back together with that in mind.

Let’s imagine that this fictitious online dating character decided to take lessons at Arthur Murray. Here’s what that same profile might look like.

1. Status: Available for a dance or two.

2. Housing: My second home is Arthur Murray.

3. Hobbies: Bettering myself, meeting people, exercise, and all while dancing whenever possible.

4. Profile Picture: (insert your favorite dance pic)

5. Vehicle: I Uber everywhere.

6. Employment: Let’s just say I work hard so I can do what I love.

7. Describe Your Style: Constantly improving.

8. Education: (see answer to #7)

9. Religion: (see answer to #7)

10. About Me: I used to work so much that I was forgetting who I was without it. Stumbled on an ad for dance lessons, and now I’ve got a community of friends that I really get along with. I have friends outside of work, I’m pushing my comfort zone, and that’s making me better at work and home.

The Hidden Benefits of Being a Dancer in the Dating World

Beyond what looks good on a profile, there are some practical advantages to being someone who dances:

You already know how to lead (or follow). The communication skills you develop in partner dancing translate directly to relationships. You learn to listen, to respond, to give clear signals – all without words.

You’re comfortable with physical closeness. That awkward first-date distance? Not a problem when you’ve spent time learning how to move in sync with another person.

You have a built-in date activity. “Want to go dancing?” beats “Want to get coffee?” every single time. And if they’ve never been dancing before? Even better – now you get to be the one who introduces them to something new.

You’ve proven you can commit to something. Taking dance lessons requires showing up, practicing, and improving over time. That’s exactly what a potential partner wants to see.

What If You’re Starting From Zero?

Maybe you’re reading this thinking, “Great, but I can’t actually dance.”

Good news: Neither could anyone else when they started.

The people you see gliding across the floor at weddings and parties weren’t born that way. They made a decision at some point to try something new. They probably felt awkward at first. They definitely stepped on some toes.

But here’s what they figured out – the willingness to try is more attractive than the skill itself. Someone who says “I don’t really know what I’m doing, but let’s give it a shot” will always be more interesting than someone who refuses to leave the table.

The Profile Picture Question

Should you actually put a dance photo in your dating profile?

Absolutely. Here’s why:

Dating profile photos typically fall into predictable categories: the group shot where no one knows which person you are, the bathroom selfie, the photo with the fish you caught, the car photo. A dance photo stands out because it’s different – and because it shows you doing something rather than just existing.

It doesn’t have to be a professional competition photo (though those work too). Even a candid shot from a practice party or social dance tells a story that “standing in front of a landmark” doesn’t.

Final Thought

Your dating profile is supposed to answer one question: “What would it be like to spend time with this person?”

If the answer is “someone who pushes their comfort zone, has a community of friends, stays active, and knows how to have fun on a dance floor” – well, that’s a pretty good answer.

Safe to say, dancing won’t solve every dating problem. But it might just solve the profile problem.