Bees Put The Bop In Bebop! Dancing is a human activity as old as
humanity itself. We waltz; we tap dance; we do the old soft
shoe; we even have been known to scoot a boot or two in a modern
version of a rural favorite, the barnyard stomp. Human dances
have been used as a tool of communication. For example,
ritualistic dances of primitive peoples were often designed to
send a message to the gods. The highly sophisticated art form of
ballet is used to tell a story to the audience. We humans aren't
the only animals that dance, though. From birds to bugs, nature
is full of dancing animals. Animal dances primarily are used to
communicate within species. The dances send a message that a
territory is occupied or that the dancer desires a mate Of the
many species of insects that communicate through dance, none is
better known than the honey bee. The dance of the bees is used
to share information about nectar sources. How this dance
functions is one of the marvels of the insect world. Honey bees
transmit two important