Why do people like to dance?

2002-01-21

I've almost always had a problem getting into dancing. I see people do it but I find it embarrasing myself. The most fun I've had dancing was at a Aquabats concert which is ska music so just jumping around in the crowd is enough. The other time was at a rave where basically I could just close my eyes and shake to the music and or wave my glow sticks aruond but at least tune out everybody else.

My question is, what do most people get out of it? One friend of mine said there are two reasons to go dancing. One, to pick up / be picked up. The other is purely to dance. It's that second one I have a hard time excepting. If that's the case, why not just dance at home alone with headphones on? It seems to me there's more to it. Is it showing off your sexiness? Is that not really a form of #1? I feel like if I could find the reason that is not #1 above I could get into more.

I don't know why exactly it should matter except that to pick up / be picked up is a very self−conscience thing where as it would seem like whatever this other reason I don't yet understand might remove some of the self−consciousness. Is there any other activity that it's similar to? Eating has a purpose. Solving puzzles, playing games, reading, sports etc all seem to have a more easy to define reason for me.

Is dancing really just a mating ritual? Does that sum it up or is there more to it?

Speak up 😉

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