Daily Dance Quote: “Dance is the song of the body.” — Martha Graham

Dancing is found throughout the animal kingdom in the form of courtship dances and patterned movements used as signals, e.g. the honeybees alert to the others in the beehive that they have found nectar.

Let’s look at the word “dance.” Here are a few definitions of the world “dance” (see below)


Dance Question:

Do all animals dance?

Perhaps, here is a funny dancing animals compilation (see answer below).

From dictionary.com:

  1. to move one’s feet or body, rhythmically in a pattern of steps, especially to the accompaniment of music.
  2. to leap, skip, etc., as from excitement or emotion; move nimbly or quickly: “to dance with joy.”
  3. to bob up and down: “The toy sailboats danced on the pond.”
  4. to perform or take part in (a dance): “to dance a waltz.”
  5. to cause to dance: “He danced her around the ballroom.”
  6.  to cause to be in a specified condition by dancing: “She danced her way to stardom.”
  7. a successive group of rhythmical steps or bodilly motions, or both, usually executed to music.
  8. an act or round of dancing; set: “May I have this dance?”
  9. the art of dancing: “to study dance.”
  10. a social gathering or party for dancing; ball: “Was he invited to the dance?”
  11. a piece of music suited in rhythm or style of a particular form of dancing: “He liked the composer’s country dances.”
  12. animal behavior. a stylized pattern of movements performed by an animal, as a bird in courtship display,or an insect, as a honeybee in indicating a source of nectar
  13. the dance, ballet, interpretive dancing, and other dancing of an artistic nature performed by professional dancers before an audience.
Answer: Yes, according to the above hightlighted definiton of “…a stylized pattern of movements performbedy by an animal…”

Synonyms: cavort, caper, frolic, gambol, prance