Take a close look at people – in your everyday life, in pop culture, movies, sports, even politics – and you’ll find individuals who’ve got good moves. On a given day, these things don’t really register because you’re thinking about a million other things. But when you start looking, they pop up all the time. Maybe someone walks with great poise, shifts his weight gracefully, or conducts a meeting with smooth hand motions.

Watching people who move well is what watching dancers is all about. The ability to do the simplest things well – even walking onto the stage – is what makes some dancers more magnetic than others. One of my favorite tiny details in Alvin Ailey’s “Revelations,” for example, is when the men stand in a line and point their index finger ahead of them, as if to say, “Yeah!” Dancer Guillermo Asca always stands out to me in that portion; he rounds his shoulders and gives the pointing a little extra verve.

Though dance is an art form that takes years of training, the essence of it – moving the body through space in an attractive, engaging way – is something that we can appreciate anywhere, any time.

Here’s a list of well-known figures whose moves catch my eye. They’re just fun to watch.

Vince Vaughn

In both “Old School” and “Swingers,” this actor plays supremely confident, fast-talking guys. But it’s not just his lines that make his characters – it’s his body. He stands with his feet wide set. He talks with dynamic hand movement, and always keeps his broad shoulders wide and braced – never hunched in the least. Though his body looks moderately athletic, what he really looks like is a guy who gets in bar fights. (Which in fact has happened.) Everything about him says: “Bring it on!”

Cameron Diaz

There are lots of skinny blonde girls in Hollywood. What makes Ms. Diaz different is that she moves without a trace of inhibition or self-consciousness. She’s an ace at comedy – especially physical comedy – because she’s totally at her ease in her own skin. In “Charlie’s Angels,” the rump-shaking wake-up dance she does in a pair of boy-cut undies is hilarious. And then she gets on stage at a Soul Train party – and does not only the Robot but also the Running Man. Beyond the dancing, she walks with strides that communicate a self-assured, fun personality.

Hideki Matsui

This Yankee left fielder is built solid (230 pounds!), but he’s nimble and quick on his feet. At a game a few weeks ago, he caught a fly-ball off-balance and did a little flip (worthy of American Ballet Theatre’s Angel Corella) to right himself before throwing. After that, I watched him constantly throughout the game. He’s extremely fit, as any slugger should be, and his body is exceptionally well proportioned. When he runs, he looks like an ideal athlete. There’s not a lot of charisma or panache in his movements, but he gets the job done with grace.

Serena Williams

She’s a powerhouse, a dynamo, a force of nature. Her tennis is not as graceful as her sister’s. Instead, it is a full-on attack. She puts everything into every stroke, and winds up with all her weight on one leg. The sight of her in a lunge is fierce. And of course, it helps that her outfits show off her muscle-bound body.

Senator Edwards

During his speech at the Democratic National Convention, the candidate for vice president did those “Hey There!” politician-type waves with a certain natural aplomb. He raised up both hands, palms out with a little pulse, then gave two thumbs-up to the crowd – punctuated by another little pulse for emphasis. On some men, this looks corny, but on him it looked right. His ability to win over a crowd is (or was) an occupational necessity. The North Carolina senator is a personal injury lawyer by trade. Putting on a show with practiced, smoothly choreographed moves in order to win a jury takes skill. He’s got it.

Jennifer Garner

She’s known for her athletic body in “Alias.” But in her chick-flick “13 Going on 30,” she modulated that athleticism into a lively, confident every-girl sexiness. At one point, she does a little dance when she opens her closet and discovers a trove of clothing. The dance is just a few moves – shoulders alternating up and down, fingers splayed into huge jazz-hands – but perfectly communicates the joy of a new, enormous wardrobe. Throughout the movie, Ms. Garner made turning 30 look like fun. And for that alone, she will always be a genius in my book.

Usher

Puh-leeze. In his videos, this singer is the definition of smooth. Though his dancing is hot, it’s the angles he hits when he’s standing or posing in his videos that make an impression. He crosses his shoulders and hunches down in a pose that is typically hip-hop, yet he makes it look fresh. And yes, it would look just as good with his shirt on.

Sharon Stone

Though perhaps she’s most famous for sitting, Ms. Stone moves with power.

And there are so many scenes in “Casino” that show it off. When she’s first introduced to Joe Pesci, she glides into the room like a model. When she works the room at the awards reception she’s warm, glamorous, and just as charming as the voiceover says she is. And it’s not just a matter of beauty. It has to do with her excellent posture and a seamless, glama-zon stride that allows her to cover a mile in two steps.

Andre 3000

Outkast’s “Hey Ya” is a great song, but it’s the video that reveals the range and versatility of Andre 3000.In the video, he plays everyone in the band. As the lead singer, he’s charismatic and all-over-the-place. As the guitarist, he’s too-cool-for-school. As the back-up singers, he’s just happy to be there, happy to move in sync and back it up. He’s got moves – and he can tailor them to each convincing character. You can’t ask more from a performer.

Omahyra Mota

This Dominican-born fashion model has been tapped for the print ad campaigns of Rocawear, Ecko Unlimited, and Baby Phat. And though these ads are sexy, there is nothing like seeing her on the runway. Her scowl aside, Ms. Mota has a killer walk: sharp, loaded with attitude, and relentlessly body-confident. It’s worth watching “Full Frontal Fashion” to get a glimpse of her in action.

***

Need a little Elton John in your life? This week, the Joyce Theater presents the Smuin Ballet company and its New York premier of “Come Dance Me a Song”- set to “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road,” “Candle in the Wind,” and “Tiny Dancer.” This San Fransico-based troupe is led by choreographer Michael Smuin, who created “St. Louis Woman – A Blues Ballet” last summer for Dance Theater of Harlem. Mr. Smuin’s style is varied and dramatic, but it is strongly rooted in ballet vocabulary. The program at the Joyce will also include Les Noces, a Russian peasant wedding set to Stravinsky, and Tango Palace, which stirs up all those spicy tango emotions.