人们为什么爱跳舞？

跳舞是我们无法自控的一个本能反应。当好心情遇到美妙动听的旋律时，我们不由自主地挪动双脚，翩翩起舞，放飞烦恼。然而是什么驱使我们情不自禁地跟着节奏摆动身体？

 

If you asked me to dance, I'd probably freeze on the spot. I lack rhythm and coordination¹ and some people say I have two left feet! But with some persuasion² and Dutch courage I can be tempted³ to take to the dance floor and shake some moves – and that, apparently⁴, is only natural.

 

Experts have found as well as being fun, dancing might have helped us to survive as a species.

 

Evolutionary⁵ anthropologist⁶ Bronwyn Tarr from the University of Oxford⁷ has been telling the BBC World Service CrowdScience programme that when we dance with others, we are rewarded with feel-good endorphins that 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 cocktail⁸ of feel-good hormones⁹ and is likely to lead to profound social effects. It's being in-sync with others that makes us happy. She says that "dancing fosters social closeness between people. It helps us build social connections and communities. In our past, those social connections would have been critical for surviving."

 

You certainly need the right kind of music to help you shimmy, boogie or even twerk, but once you get the right beat and get into the groove¹⁰ with others, it can be an uplifting experience. Even my cringeworthy dad dancing makes 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 sling¹¹, have been dancing with the aim of increasing the bond between 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 to prescribe dance 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 your longevity¹² – your life expectancy¹³ – 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 uptight¹⁴ Englishman that makes me a reluctant dancer. Look at other nationalities such as Cubans where dancing is at the heart of their cultural identity. And in Brazil at Carnival¹⁵ time, people let their hair down by 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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