The answer to why we dance - and even why some people are better at it than others - can be found in the theory of evolution. A study published in 2006 found that the ability to dance is actually linked to a survival mechanism. For our prehistoric ancestors, dancing was a way to bond and communicate, especially during difficult times. Moreover, scientists believe that those people who had good coordination and a sense of rhythm may have had an evolutionary advantage.
According to Stephen J. Mithen, an archaeologist at the British University of Reading, our ancestors learned to use dance to attract an ally or helper as much as one and a half million years ago.
Also, judging by recent research, anthropologists and evolutionary biologists agree that the nature of dance lies in the mechanism of imitation. By imitation, young children, for example, learn to speak and perform the same actions as adults. At the same time, the experience of repetition strengthens the connection between the perception of oneself and other people doing the same thing. Using a similar model, we learn to dance, that is, we do not so much intuitively contract our muscles to the beat of music, but reproduce the motor trajectories that we observe.
Some researchers believe that behavioral imitation is explained by specific neural structures, while other experts argue that the answer lies in the cognitive mechanisms of general learning and motor control of the body. By the way, an analysis of brain activity carried out using magnetic emission tomography revealed an interesting connection.
When dancing and when imitating someone else's actions, the same neural circuits operate, originating in the same areas of the brain - in the primary motor cortex, occipital and temporal lobes.
This observation continues to be supported by studies of special cells - mirror neurons located in the cortex cerebral hemispheres. Mirror neurons were only discovered in the 1990s, and much about their functional role remains to be discovered. But it is absolutely known that these cells are activated when performing a specific action and observing how someone performs the same action. In addition, mirror neurons fire especially strongly when a person learns something or shows empathy. Therefore, the discovery of increased activity of these cells in professional dancers is not surprising.
It is worth adding here that the biology of dance is much more complex. A comprehensive study published in Scientific American notes that coordinated movements performed to music stimulate the pleasure center of the brain. Moreover, the activation of this part of the brain and the increased production of the hormone dopamine occur largely due to music, and not movements. That is, the pleasant sensations that arise when listening to a melody and its rhythm are enhanced if you don’t just listen to the music, but move in time with it. Take, for example, the Brazilian traditional art- capoeira. This is both a dance and martial art. Capoeira masters explain that turning fighting techniques into dance moves It is no coincidence that it is the pleasure received from music and choreography that allows one to skillfully carry out martial practices.
By the way, in addition to physiology, genetic patterns are also involved in the matter of the dance essence. Interesting data was obtained by Israeli scientists who examined the DNA of a group of dancers and people unfamiliar with choreography. As a result, geneticists discovered interesting fact. Dancers have two distinct genes associated with their predisposition to be good social communicators - much of this has to do with the production of the hormone vasopressin. In addition, it was found that dancers had more high level and another hormone - serotonin, which is known to influence feelings of joy and happiness.
Choices can tell a lot about a person. dance direction which he is interested in. As a rule, ballroom dancing is chosen by balanced people, Latin American motifs are loved by cheerful and emotional people, and go-go dancing is preferred by energetic and self-confident people.
What does dance say about a man?
It is quite difficult to immediately determine at first glance at young man, is it worth starting to establish a close relationship with him. But some nuances will help the girl decide whether it makes sense to give this gentleman her phone number.
It turns out that you can draw some conclusions based on how a man dances slow dance. By taking a closer look at your partner, you can learn a few things about him.
A typical dance of a serious but timid man
If your partner hesitantly holds you by the waist and has great difficulty falling in time with the music, most likely you cannot call him a Don Juan. He treats ladies with increased seriousness, often timid in front of them. Such a gentleman may be somewhat bland and even lack charm, but such men willingly marry and are capable of being reliable. As a rule, in such a couple the woman is in the lead when communicating.
But keep in mind that your partner may simply not have an ear for music.
Narcissistic partner
If a man supports his partner while dancing with only one hand, he is most likely a narcissist. Perhaps he is still too young and therefore overconfident. In any case, in his dancing he demonstrates offensive negligence and dances, rather, for the purpose of showing off. Meeting such a character, unfortunately, can bring you a lot of grief.
Inappropriate behavior in dancing
If a man, while dancing with a woman, playfully slides his hand over her body, he is either drunk or ill-mannered. Not only should you not get acquainted with such cheeky characters, but you should not even continue dancing.
How can a man behave while dancing?
- If a young man holds a girl by the waist with one hand and takes her hand with the other, taking her to the side, then he is either a provincial or an older man.
- If his arm is gracefully bent at the elbow, this is a sign good upbringing. Such a dancer has excellent manners and, most likely, he is easy to communicate and intelligent.
- If a man, as they say in ballroom dancing, dances with a woman “in contact” - he is probably a sophisticated lover. And if he also leads confidently, then most likely such a man is used to dominating women. It makes sense to get this partner's attention. This will be quite easy to do if you have studied modern dance in the Sportmix studio.
When you first make contact with your dance partner, try to take a closer look at him: you can learn a lot about him and decide for yourself whether it’s worth continuing further communication or whether it’s better to let him go right away.
Many processes stimulate the reward system in our brain, among them coordinated movements. Because of this we love to dance, for this reason we (if not all, then at least some) are fascinated well choreographed fights in movies , marching people or " Rube Goldberg machines" Scientists cannot find a clear reason for this phenomenon. But movements to music (which in itself) - in essence, dance - represent double pleasure for a person.
The desire to move to the rhythm has settled in our hearts since ancient times. nervous system. There is a specific connection between the auditory cortex, which processes sound, and the area of the brain that is involved in planning and producing movements. This connection is especially well established if a person learns to sing. In order to imitate a vocal teacher, a diligent student must learn to imagine how to associate an audible standard with the ability to reproduce it.
Video OK Go - This Too Shall Pass
We're not the only animals that can move to the beat, but the other fauna we share these skills with are a bit surprising. For example, our closest relatives - chimpanzees - do not move to music, but they also cannot imitate sounds. However, parrots and cockatoos, which are excellent vocal imitators, are also good at moving to rhythm. As proof of this, you can find many videos on YouTube. That is, in fact, the desire to dance is directly related to the ability to imitate sounds. From this we can conclude that when we listen to music, we subconsciously try to imitate it, for example, stomp to the beat or imitate a solo. This also gives rise to the desire to sing along to your favorite song.
A scientific study published in the journal Science in 2006 suggested that in ancient times, the ability to dance was associated with survival. Dancing for our prehistoric ancestors was one of the ways to communicate, especially in difficult times. Therefore, scientists believe that the first humans who had a better sense of rhythm may have had an evolutionary advantage.
Researchers studied the DNA of groups of dancers and people who had never shown a penchant for dancing, and found that dancers had genes associated with a predisposition to better communication in society. In addition, dancers were found to have higher levels of serotonin, which is known to influence a positive attitude. These two factors suggest that dancers are (potentially) more social individuals.
It is not a sensation that people also dance to attract the opposite sex. British archaeologist Stephen J. Mithen, studying the culture of Neanderthals, proved that our ancestors were doing this 1.5 million years ago. That is, on prehistoric dance floors, approximately the same thing happened as. “In many societies today, dancing is used as a means of presenting oneself to attract a partner,” Mithen points out. “Dancing is a means to show off your physical ability and coordination, qualities that were important for survival in prehistoric hunter-gatherer societies.”
The reward system in the brain that made us fall in love with dancing is directly related to motor functions. Historians believe that the music itself was created through rhythmic movements, and the first “tracks” were simple synchronized stomping. In addition, we are very sensitive to the movements of other people's bodies.
It has been found that when watching others dance, certain areas of the brain responsible for movement are activated. This is due to the presence of mirror neurons responsible for imitation. These cells in the cerebral cortex are excited both when performing a certain action and when observing another being perform this action. Such neurons have been discovered in primates, and their presence is claimed in humans and some birds.
Another kind of pleasure that our brain gets from watching dances is associated with our love of predicting events. The observer, at a time when the dancer has not yet completed the steps, thanks to the prompts of the music, can predict his further movements, and when he guesses them, the reward system in the brain is triggered. It turns out that people enjoy both watching dances and participating in them. This is where a person's love for group dances, which, among other things, give a feeling of unity.
Those of you who enjoy spending time on the dance floor will probably be surprised to learn that such a hobby has benefits not only for physical fitness, but also for your brain. Dancing is more than just having a good time with friends or a loved one. They have amazing ability improve brain functions. Let's look at five amazing things that dancing can do for your brain.
Neuroplasticity
The New York Medical College conducted a study for 21 years in which people over 75 years of age took part. The researchers measured brain aging by monitoring the rate of dementia. The purpose of the study was to find out whether any type of physical or cognitive activity could have an effect on the brain.
The study found that some cognitive activities affect the mind, but physical activity had little to no effect. The only exception was dancing. Here are some research results:
- reading - reducing the risk of dementia by 35%;
- cycling and swimming - no risk reduction;
- solving crossword puzzles four times a week - the risk of developing dementia is reduced by 47%;
- playing golf has no effect on the development of dementia;
- Frequent dancing classes reduce the risk by 76%.
People who dance regularly have greater cognitive reserves and increased complexity of neural synapses. Dancing reduces the risk of dementia by improving these neural qualities. They force the brain to constantly “repair” neural pathways, thereby promoting neuroplasticity.
You get smarter
What is meant by intelligence? If your response to a given situation is automatic, then it is generally accepted that intelligence is involved in this process. When the brain evaluates various options answers and consciously chooses one, then such a process is also considered reasonable. Jean Piaget noted that we use intelligence when we no longer know what to do.
Simply put, the essence of intelligence is decision making. To improve mental abilities, it is necessary to involve yourself in activities that require a split second to accept the right decision. Dancing is an example of a constantly changing activity that requires quick decision making. You need to instantly understand which way to turn, how fast to move and how to react to your partner's movements. Dancing is a great way to maintain and improve your intelligence.
Improves muscle memory
Dancers can learn complex movements more easily if they use the "marking" method - slowly learning all the movements and coordinating them. This “marking” reduces the conflict between cognitive and physical aspects when learning a dance, so dancers are able to remember and repeat all the movements much better. Evidence of this was published in the Journal of the Association for Psychological Science.
Scientists have found that visualizing movements and tagging helps improve muscle memory. But also this visualization and labeling mechanism used to learn dance can be used in various fields activities to optimize performance. 
Slows down aging and improves memory
Some scientists believe that the more complex our neural synapses, the better. Therefore, you should do everything you can to create new neural connections, and dancing is a great way to do this.
As you get older, brain cells die and synapses become weaker. Many things, such as the names of new acquaintances, are more difficult to remember because there is only one neural pathway that leads you to this stored information.
But if you work on learning new things, like dance, then it helps to build different mental pathways and multiple paths. So when one neural pathway is lost due to age, you have an alternative one that can be used to access stored information and memories. 
You can prevent dizziness
Have you ever wondered why ballet dancers don't get dizzy when they perform difficult pirouettes? Research shows that many years of practice and training can suppress signals from the balance organs in the inner ear, which are connected to the cerebellum.
A ballerina simply cannot afford to lose her balance or feel dizzy. Over years of training, her brain adapts to suppress these sensations. Consequently, the signal going to the areas of the brain responsible for the perception of dizziness is reduced, and this makes ballerinas more resistant to the sensations of dizziness.
If you suffer from dizziness, find time in your schedule for any type of dancing. This is a good solution to the problem. Dancing helps improve the function of your cerebellum, which in turn improves balance and relieves dizziness. You don't need to be a professional dancer to benefit from this art. Dancing at any level helps. 
Instead of a conclusion
Dance is a great way to maintain and improve many of the functions of the human brain. It increases neural connections because dance integrates multiple brain functions simultaneously: rational, musical, kinetic and emotional. This increase in neural connectivity can be beneficial for your brain at any age. Start now and dance every day!
What can help a person relax, unwind and have a good time? The answer to this question is dance. Only by succumbing to rhythmic movements to the sounds of music, we relax not only mentally, but also physically, relieving ourselves of the burden of everyday life, existing stress and worries.
Many famous scientists and dancers tend to claim that dance’s benefits for humans are comparable to long-term benefits physical exercise in the gym, as well as moderate intake of vitamins. And it’s hard to argue with this, since in the process of dancing we use almost all muscle groups, and in the process of movement, from joyful and pleasant sensations we receive vital endorphins, which allow us to gain moral pleasure and significantly improve our mood.
A little history
With the appearance of Homo sapiens on the planet, everything changed, technology appeared, the world was rapidly developing, communication tools were needed in order to communicate with each other, demonstrate their emotions and sensations. Dance came to the rescue primitive people, and later more progressive tribes, through dance communicated not only with the world of the living, but also with the world of the dead. In the dance there was communication; in the dance a person could convey to the viewer what was bothering him now and what he would like to focus on. During the evolution of man, much has changed, but the role of dance has remained the same and this is one of its main advantages, to convey one’s emotions and feelings.
Useful qualities of dancing
The first thing to understand is that dance is not just thoughtless movements, it is a whole story that is described by body language. Thanks to the smoothness of movements and precision of execution, it is possible to develop not only flexibility, improve balance and coordination, but also increase self-confidence. In many treatment programs and courses, dancing is an integral part of any recovery process from experienced mental and moral trauma. The benefits of dance were noted in the works of eminent scientists, choreographers, and doctors of their time. The best known dancer of her time, Isadora Duncan, concluded that dance is the best cure for mental illness and self-doubt. The same idea was shared by therapist Merian Chase, Dr. A.V. Stor, as well as other great people, whose undoubtedly great contribution made dance one of the the best means for the treatment of physiological and mental diseases.
What Research Shows
Since the beginning of the 19th century, many different tests have been used to evaluate the prospects, importance of dance in a person’s life and health. There were both positive and negative results, since different age groups respondents, the severity of emotional illnesses. But if we summarize, a clear and undeniable pattern can be seen: dance, no matter what style it is - Bachata, Hustle, Kizomba or Body Ballet, plays an important role in terms of achieving internal harmony, calmness and a balanced state.