If you asked me to dance, I"d probably freeze on the spot. I lackrhythmandcoordinationand some people say I havetwo left feet! But with some persuasion andDutch courageI can be tempted to take to the dance floor andshake some moves– and that, apparently, is only natural.
Experts have found as well as being fun, dancing might have helped us to survive as a species.
Evolutionary anthropologistBronwyn Tarr from the University of Oxford has been telling the BBC World Service CrowdScience programme that when we dance with others, we are rewarded with feel-goodendorphinsthat change how we feel about ourselves and those around us.
Dancing alone is one thing but it"s dancing as a group that makes our brain reward us with a cocktail of feel-goodhormonesand is likely to lead to profound social effects. It"s beingin-syncwith others that makes us happy. She says that "dancingfosterssocial closeness between people. It helps us buildsocial connectionsand communities. In our past, those social connections would have been critical for surviving."
You certainly need the right kind of music to help youshimmy,boogieor eventwerk, but once you get the right beat andget into the groovewith others, it can be anupliftingexperience. Even my cringeworthydad dancingmakes me feel good sometimes. And in Swindon in the UK, this "style" of dancing has been taken to a new level, where babies, attached to their fathers" chests in a sling, have been dancing with the aim of increasing thebondbetween parent and child.
Dance is also a good way to keep fit and improve our mental health. In Wales there have been calls for doctors toprescribedance classes to people who are unwell. The Arts Council of Wales claims there are many health benefits. And Bronwyn Tarr says "more and more we"re actually discovering that yourlongevity– your life expectancy – is predicted by the social connections that you have… still today it"s something we should do more of."
It could be part of being an uptight Englishman that makes me a reluctant dancer. Look at other nationalities such as Cubans where dancing is at the heart of theircultural identity. And in Brazil at Carnival time, peoplelet their hair downby dancing together day and night. They seem to be having a good time – so maybe I should get on my feet and dance!
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