Just Dance! It’s in our human nature

“You are the dancing queen”

“Oh, I wanna dance with somebody”

“Shut up and dance with me”

These are just a few popular examples of the countless song lyrics that communicate the exuberant feelings associated with dancing. Whether it is a feeling of satisfaction after learning complex choreography, intimacy felt between people embracing during a partner dance, or simply unabashed confidence when grooving behind closed doors, there is something deeply humanizing about dancing.

The use of creative movement to express oneself or represent a group’s identity, dance has both historical and cultural significance. Dating back farther than Ancient Egypt, dancing has remained a staple of many traditions and celebrations across cultures, ranging from weddings and funerals, to school and work functions, or even religious and spiritual rituals.¹ Yet, the evolutionary emergence of dance remains a mystery to the many theorists who seek a basis for our dancing capabilities.

Who Can Dance? Who Can Jive?

Depending on how we define dancing, there is great debate as to whether this behaviour is limited to humans.^1,2 Scientists have characterized dancing as musical or rhythmic body movements, a competency we share with only several species of birds and a few Asian elephants.¹ So, contrary to the many YouTube videos showcasing cats and dogs who know how to boogie, scientists would argue our pets and primate ancestors cannot dance.^1,2 Even so, spontaneous and effortless dancing to music is a skill only we exhibit.² Whether we think we can cut a rug or not, scientists theorize it is our proficiency in imitation that has unlocked the key to our dancing capabilities, and that this imitative mastery has evolved through social learning.¹ Additionally, neuroimaging has revealed that tapping our fingers and feet to music and rhythms activates the same regions of the brain involved in imitation tasks with our hands, corroborating the notion that our ability to dance is ultimately a byproduct of our ability to imitate others.^1,2

Why Do We All Shuffle Uniquely?

Although, evolutionarily speaking, the latter suggests that all humans are capable of dancing, researchers also suggest upbringing may impact our individual dance skills. For instance, Oxford psychologist Bronwyn Tarr reflects that a mother’s heartbeat, being one of the first rhythms a fetus experiences, may create a rush of hormones and endorphins that set the stage for bonding with others through synchronized movement later in life.³ Moreover, psychologists from the UK argue that being sung to or rocked may allow babies to form neural associations between sound, rhythm, and motion.¹ From the University of Toronto Scarborough, Dr. Laura Cirelli and her colleagues assert that infants predict beats before they start walking and display more rhythmic movements to music than in response to speech.^3,4 Not long after, we begin mirroring the precise movements of the many people we encounter at home, at school, in sports, etc. In all, it appears that even the childhood stage when we precociously repeat “why are you copying me?” to everyone else’s irritation, forms an essential part of our dancing development.

As we grow older, especially in the years preceding puberty, our heightened awareness of other’s judgement and increasing sensitivity to criticism, may lead to lowered self-esteem and an unwillingness to perform in the spotlight.⁵ This begins a familiar phase of awkward swaying with hands in pockets, leaned against the gym wall at the school dance. Into adulthood, as we forge our sense of self, we may overcome these insecurities and opt to revel in the positive emotions experienced when dancing in groups.¹ Having said that, we may also continue to struggle tearing up the dance floor as adults, but fear not — scientists have some good reasons why it may not be our fault.