How fractal is dancing?

Fractal analysis was applied to the patterns formed on the dance floor by footwork while performing various dance figures. Several Latin-American dances were taken into consideration and the box-counting method was used to estimate the fractal dimensions of these patterns. Rumba was determined to produce the most fractal pattern with a fractal dimension of about 1.36 in the mesh size range used while Merengue exhibited the least fractal one with a dimension of about 1.16. The magnitude of the fractal dimension seemed to be mainly dependent on the simplicity/complexity of the dance figures as well as the characteristic rhythm of the music dictating the basic footwork and figures performed. Well-known fractal shapes, such as the Koch curve might be used to provide insights for generating new dance figures.