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Tai Asks Why

Why do humans dance?

Tai Asks Why

CBC

Kids & Family

4.21.3K Ratings

🗓️ 27 January 2021

⏱️ 23 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Don’t tell anyone: Tai thinks he has two left feet and he still loves to dance when no one’s watching. But why do humans like to dance at all? What’s going on in the brain when people boogie? In this episode, Tai tangos into the activity that has helped humans and communities survive for thousands of years, with the help of his whole family. Find transcripts for Tai Asks Why Here: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/podcastnews/tai-asks-why-transcripts-listen-1.6747759 This week Tai spoke with: - Peter Lovatt, psychologist, author of The Dance Cure - Ashley ‘Colours’ Perez, dancer and teacher @classwithcolours For transcripts of this series, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/podcastnews/tai-asks-why-transcripts-listen-1.6747759

Transcript

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0:00.0

This is a CBC podcast.

0:04.0

Can I tell you something that you won't tell anybody else?

0:08.0

I need you to promise.

0:10.0

Yeah? Well, okay.

0:12.0

Sometimes I get this weird urge to dance.

0:15.6

I'll hear a song and I think it's kind of cool and feel the rhythm and I just get my groove on. I don't really know why I do it. It's just kind of like an impulse.

0:31.0

When I'm bored, sometimes I'll just wave or flat my arms around just for the sake of it.

0:35.0

And it's fun, until I'm in a situation where I have to dance with other people,

0:41.0

you know, like at a party or something like that then I'll get super embarrassed about it and all of a sudden I'm in my head and then I'm frozen

0:51.2

So what's up with that? I mean, what is this dancing impulse and why is it different

0:58.1

when other people are around? And what purpose does dancing even serve?

1:03.0

Because, you know, it's not something humans have to do.

1:07.0

It's not a life or death thing.

1:09.0

It doesn't make it easier for us to get food and it's not going to help us escape from predators. There's to be more of a reason than just it's fun, right?

1:17.0

So what is happening in our brains when we dance? Why do we dance at all?

1:24.0

Thai asks why. I'm Thai and this is my podcast. Ty asks why. There are a ton of great questions out there that you just want to have answer.

1:39.0

What's going on in my teen brain? How is the universe going to end? Where is the internet? What's the

1:47.4

deal with screen time? How else can we power the planet? And why do humans dance?

1:57.0

If I'm sitting at my desk working, I'll often groove while I'm working at my desk.

2:06.5

This is Dr. Dance. Oh sorry I mean Dr. Peter Lovett.

2:11.1

Peter is a psychologist who researches what happens in the brain when people dance.

2:16.0

He's also a lifelong dancer.

...

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