Sir
The idea that dancing rids the body of nervous emotion was an old one even in 1953, as pointed out in '50 years ago' (Nature 422, 673; 2003).
Alfred Wallace, arguing against Darwin's notion of sexual selection in his book Darwinism (MacMillan, London & New York; 1889), suggested that “the act of singing [by male birds] is evidently a pleasurable one and probably serves as an outlet for superabundant nervous energy and excitement, just as dancing, singing and field sports do for men”.
A man of impeccable manners, Wallace — although not conceding a role for dance in the life of birds — concluded that “singing... may well have originated merely as... an invitation from the male to the female”.
I await with nervous anticipation my invitation to Nature's next party.
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Marshall, R. Making a song and dance about emotion. Nature 423, 221 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1038/423221c
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/423221c