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Numerous species engage in courtship rituals linked to dance prowess. Perhaps none is as extraordinary as the "moonwalk" performed by red-capped manakin males. Not surprisingly, humans engage in similar courtship displays. In my book, The Evolutionary Bases of Consumption, I discuss a highly elaborate dance ritual, known as the Geerewol (also written Jeerewol or Gerewol), practiced by the Wodaabe People, specifically by Wodaabe males (see photo) as a means of impressing prospective female partners. The general message that is being communicated across species is the following: "If I dance this well, I must have good genetic stock. Let's hook it up!"
Two recent studies conducted with human males seem to point to this intriguing possibility. In a paper published in Nature, William M. Brown et al. (2005) report a correlation between men's dance abilities and their body symmetry (a measure of phenotypic quality). More recently, Bernhard Fink and his colleagues (2007) found that women judged the dancing ability of men possessing masculinized finger digit ratios (a marker of exposure to testosterone in utero; see my earlier post on this topic here), as more attractive, dominant, and masculine than that of their male counterparts possessing more feminized digit ratios. This again points to the fact that dance ability is correlated with phenotypic quality.
The human fascination with dancing manifests itself in several popular culture settings. For example, two highly successful television shows are Dancing with the Stars and So You Think You Can Dance. Most if not all of the successful boy bands over the past twenty years are comprised of attractive young men who dance well (New Kids on the Block, Backstreet Boys, 'N Sync). To some extent, their vocal abilities are secondary to their gyrations and fancy footwork. For those readers who are somewhat older, Elvis Presley and Tom Jones were, as known for their hip movements, as they were for their soulful voices. John Travolta became a movie star on the heels of his dance moves in Saturday Night Fever.
The next time that you head off to a dance bar, remember that much of what is taking place in such a venue is nothing but sexual signaling. In the immortal lyrics of the Bloodhound Gang's humorous dance song from the late 1990s: "You and Me Baby Ain't Nothing But Mammals So Let's Do It Like They Do It On the Discovery Channel."
To the reader of my last post who requested that I include a photo of a sexy male dancer in my current post, I hope that you enjoyed the teaser image. You're welcome!
Source for Images:
http://images.starpulse.com/Photos/Previews/Usher-music-sb01.jpg
http://z.about.com/d/goafrica/1/0/u/G/gerewol.jpg
