Episode 1: Dancing Birds

What do the worlds of bird courtship and Cambodian classical dance have in common? Today, we are joined by Ayala Berger, a PhD candidate in the Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology at UCR who is researching hummingbird courtship, and Ryan Boun, a Cambodian dancer. As we explore this cline, we’ll uncover what beauty and complexity mean to both our guests and chat about how song and dance as means for communication have changed and continue to do so over time.

Some examples of Cambodian classical dance suggested by Ryan:

• Shan-type Peacock Dance
• Stylized Social Dance
  • A very formalized dance that is sanctioned and has very little personal expression in how the couples move

Courtship displays of Costa’s and Anna’s hummingbirds, the species that Ayala studies:

• Costa’s Hummingbird
• Anna’s Hummingbird

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Intro and outro music was "Traveling in your mind" by Loyalty Freak Music. More of their work can be found at https://loyaltyfreakmusic.com/