"Dance of the Sandhill Crane," written by Clare Antonioli, read by Caroline Kurtz.
"Why do sandhill cranes dance? There are several theories. They may be establishing territories, or they may be warning other cranes of possible danger, but the most widely accepted theory is that the dance is a mating ritual. However, sandhill cranes dance all the time, even when they aren't mating, so how could a dance be only a mating ritual? Even juveniles, who are not of mating age, dance.
I've come up with my own theory: as a dancer myself, I know that to perform my best, I have to rehearse. I think sandhill cranes are dancing as juveniles as a sort of rehearsal. Later, when they are mature, they will perform the perfected dance to attract a mate."
(Broadcast: "Fieldnotes," 10/19/14 & 10/20/14. Listen Sundays, 12:25 p.m. or Mondays, 3:00 p.m., or via podcast.)