You've been in this situation more times than you care to count: You're working your body language on a girl, you're making some headway, you're feeling pretty darn confident, and then she goes off to dance with her girlfriends. And while she's dancing, some stud moves in on her, grooving left and right, and before you know what's happened, she's sitting in a booth with him, suddenly looking very attached.

If you hate to dance, are your chances of meeting a girl so seriously diminished that you should hang it up right now and devote your life to your dog? Relax. All hope is not lost. You don't have to imitate a pop star on the dance floor just to score a date with someone. But maybe you need to understand the concept behind dancing.

Dancing actually dates back to primitive rituals, when people would dance to express emotion or as an offering to their gods. These days, dance is a way of putting yourself on display, of saying, “I'm here, I'm moving it, and — wow! Look at how virile I am!” (Important note: Do not repeat those words on the dance floor.) Prospective mates are looking on, evaluating your fitness, the execution of your routine (no, not really), and your potential as a partner.

So again you ask, “Must I dance?” Let's take a look at the facts here: A lot of girls love to dance. Dancing is a great way to move into a girl's personal space in a legitimate manner, thus opening up a whole new avenue for apres-dance conversation.