Covered in a Jägerbomb, rubbing my knee while sitting on the sticky floor of a French bar.

That's what happened to me following an attempt to attract my now-partner on our first encounter, with a far too adventurous Beyoncé-inspired (and failed) spin on the dance floor.

While pity might have had a role to play in our subsequent relationship (I blummin' hope not), I like to think it was my ambitious array of dance moves that bagged myself a date.

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After all, we all have an inner Queen Bee, just waiting for the right tune to help get our groove on.

However, according to a new study, published in the journal Scientific Reports, there are specific dance moves that make a woman more attractive to the opposite sex. And thankfully, it doesn't involve twerking.

The study, conducted by researchers at Northumbria University, found there are three types of movements that contribute to a 'high-quality' female dance.

The moves included a 'greater hip swing, more asymmetric movements of the thighs, and intermediate levels of asymmetric movements of the arms'.

Basically, move your hips and legs in time with the music, wave your arms in the air 'like you just don't care' and you'll immediately appear more alluring. Easy.

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According to the Guardian, the study involved researchers using motion-capture technology to record the moves of women dancing to a drum beat, before turning them into digital avatars and showing them to men and women to rate on attractiveness.

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In total, 39 women aged between 18 and 30 were recorded dancing to a 125-beat-per-minute drum-based rhythm before they were turned into featureless avatars so that when it came to judging how attractive they were, the participants could assess it on dance moves along, and not their clothing, height or facial features.

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The 15 second-clips were then shown to 57 men and 143 heterosexual women, over the age of 18, in an online study before they were asked to rate the dancing on a scale of 1-7.

Nick Neave, a psychologist from the University of Northumbria who led the research, reveals that while arms and thigh movements of the study's participants were attractive, it was their 'asymmetric movements' – as in synchronised – that deemed them better dancers.

So, if you have basic musical timing and rhythm, you're laughing.

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The research also found that your attractiveness to the opposite sex when dancing, might be linked to your fertility.

The team wrote: 'In women, there is some evidence that dance attractiveness might reflect fertility: women's dance is rated more attractive during high-fertility than low-fertility, and female lap-dancers earn more tips around ovulation.'

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The news comes six years after the researchers found that men who tilted and twisted their necks and torsos in a variety of moves were deemed to be good dancers by spectators.

While the research into the most attractive dance moves for women is all good and well, we don't see any problem with whipping out your favorite dance moves, flailing your arms in the air and dropping it low with your friends.

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Remember, dance like no one is watching. Who cares about looking attractive?

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Katie O'Malley
Site Director

Katie O'Malley is the Site Director on ELLE UK. On a daily basis you’ll find Katie managing all digital workflow, editing site, video and newsletter content, liaising with commercial and sales teams on new partnerships and deals (eg Nike, Tiffany & Co., Cartier etc), implementing new digital strategies and compiling in-depth data traffic, SEO and ecomm reports. In addition to appearing on the radio and on TV, as well as interviewing everyone from Oprah Winfrey to Rishi Sunak PM, Katie enjoys writing about lifestyle, culture, wellness, fitness, fashion, and more.