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Cole Porter was onto something when he penned the lyrics "Birds do it, bees do it." Even men with two left feet do it. Dance, that is, all in the name of love.

Some wag once defined dance as "the vertical expression of horizontal desire." Whether men admit it or not-whether they are consciously aware of it or not-deep down in the male psyche is the desire to dance to attract a mate. What man hasn't at least secretly imagined himself as Patrick Swayze in "Dirty Dancing," or as Fred Astaire, or pictured himself on big-screen TV "Dancing With the Stars"? The desire is timeless, and in some of our fellow creatures like the birds and the bees, as researchers have observed, dancing is instinctive.

The plumage of male birds is more colorful, their markings more ornate, than the feathers of the females. The reason? Brilliant colors and bold patterns are more attractive to the eye. Some male birds show off their good looks with elaborate displays or dances, preening and strutting, all intended to catch the eye of a mate and outdo some rival suitor.

The prairie chicken is well known for his danceaccompanied by vocalization, or song, if you will. Here's how one observer describes it: "'Booming'" describes the low sounds males make while trying to attract females. "Oooop!, whudooo, whudooo, whudooo" is how it goes. . . .The prairie chickens are consumed by the choreography of their spring mating ritual. Males puff and wobble their orange air sacs, stamp and settle their feet and fight among themselves for territory. . . . many roosters vying for the attention of three females. The hens appear sometimes attentive, sometimes wondrously bored by the whole thing." (Source: http://mdc.mo.gov/conmag/1997/ 04/30.htm)

In human courtship, the rock and roll revolution in music and dance made it possible for any man to compete, no dancing ability required. Male self-expression on the dance floor can be a glorious thing. Or it can be something else altogether. Just watch any wedding reception video. Of special note to women: if you're dancing with a man who hums or sings along with the music, he's booming.

Bees don't dance to attract a mate, but their dance communicates a related message about preservation and propagation of the species. A bee dances to tell others that he's found a food source for the hive. It's only a short leap to see the similarities in a man who tries to impress his date by taking her out for dinner and dancing. Dinner at a trendy restaurant telegraphs the message

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