A queer singer-songwriter-scientist from Sydney has won a global gong after using interpretive dance to explain the personality quirks of kangaroos.
It doesn't sound like a real thing but the Dance Your PhD competition is legit and every year researchers from around the world go head to head in the battle for glory.
It's run by the American Association for the Advancement of Science and entrants are challenged to break the internet by using the magic of movement to communicate complex scientific research to the masses.
Sydney-based Weliton Menario Costa emerged victorious overnight after putting together a slick clip that has drag queens, funk and ethnic dancers imitating the social behaviours that make roos roos.
And it turns out they're a lot like humans.
They like to party in larger groups but enjoy the intimacy of smaller social circles.
Their individual personalities also become evident early in life. And mothers and their offspring have similar personalities, as do siblings.
So how does one translate all that that into interpretive dance?
It was relatively easy for Menario Costa, who considers himself an artist first and a scientist second.
He rolled with the fact that like humans no two roos are the same and diversity rules in both realms.
"The diversity of the dancers, from classical ballet to twerking, and the urban street dancers to the Brazilian dancing styles, reflect the variations in kangaroo personality across the full spectrum, from bolder types to shier roos," Dr Costa says.
His quirky offering, Kangaroo Time (Club Edit), has already been downloaded thousands of times on Spotify and is doing the rounds at clubs and festivals.
“Winning this contest is the equivalent of winning Eurovision for me," he says.
He hopes his new audience will learn a thing or two about roos, but will also pick up on his themes of inclusivity and diversity.
“As a queer immigrant from a linguistically diverse developing country, I understand the challenges of feeling disconnected in certain environments,” he says.
"Differences lead to diversity, and this is evident throughout the entire video. It’s evident with the different dancers that herald from various cultures and backgrounds."
