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Arts & Culture

NATURE’S GREATEST DANCERS

Lesser flamingo, Lake Nakuru National Park, Kenya.
Courtesy of © Image Focus/Shutterstock
Lesser flamingo, Lake Nakuru National Park, Kenya.

Airs Wednesdays, Feb. 26 and March 25, 2020 at 8 p.m. on KPBS TV + Sundays, March 1 and March 29 at 8 p.m. on KPBS 2

Steve Backshall, wildlife expert and star of STRICTLY COME DANCING, explores the ways animals move on NATURE’S GREATEST DANCERS.

Episode 1 “The Dance For Love” airs Wednesday, Feb. 26 at 8 p.m. on KPBS TV + Sunday, March 1 at 8 p.m. on KPBS 2 - Steve Backshall looks at the moves animals make in pursuit of romance. From soliciting that first amorous glance to seeing off the competition, and of course the final act of seduction.

Episode 2: “The Dance For Life” airs Wednesday, March 25 at 8 p.m. on KPBS TV + Sunday, March 29 at 8 p.m. on KPBS 2 - Steve Backshall takes a look at some of the extraordinary dance-like moves that animals perform to survive all aspects of life.

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"At the heart of every natural process is rhythm, beat, a pulse. Everything in the wild world is syncopated to its very core. Dance - as we humans would recognize it - is found across the spectrum. From the mighty twirls and leaps of great whales, the largest animals ever to have graced our planet, to the vibrations and posturing of insects so tiny you need a microscope to watch their moves," says Backshall. "Dancing animals are hypnotic, beautiful and dazzling to watch, but their performances ask questions that verge on the philosophical. Evolutionary theory suggests that costly behavior must have a purpose, but even the most hardened biologist has to occasionally ask; is this animal just dancing for the fun of it? And if not, then why should we humans be any different?"

Distributed by BBC Studios.