Watch This Fascinating Gorilla Dancing Like A Ballerina [Video]

There's a saying that says "dance like no one's watching," and it looks like our ape friend took this phrase to heart. A video of a dancing gorilla garnered an astounding 1.1 million views after it was posted on Facebook a few days ago.

Lope, one very happy gorilla, is a resident at Twycross Zoo in Leicestershire.According to  BBC, the video was posted by Helen Fairhead. In the viral video, Lope is seen putting on a fascinating show. For a dancer, the gorilla seems to be a fan of classical ballet.

In the beginning, Lope appears to be playing with ropes and other things. After a while, he proceeds to dance in happiness. Lope performs an endless pirouette, turning gracefully one after the other before laying on the ground.

Twycross Zoo Director, Dr. Charlotte Macdonald, said that Lope's "dance" is him playing, which is vital to keep a young ape's life happy. Based from the video, it looks like Lope's happiness is contagious, to as spectators had fun watching his performance.<

While Lope creates a stream of happy hormones for many, some people were not at all impressed with Lope's dancing skills. Some people on Facebook showed concern over the video, saying that Lope's behavior might be a sign that he is bored or troubled.

However, Simon Childs, an officer from the Zoo, beg to disagree. Childs told Today.Com, "The video shows our youngest gorilla, Lope, as he is playing. He celebrated his 3rd birthday in January and play is a very important aspect of behavior for young apes, both in zoos and the wild. Visitors to Twycross Zoo can see Lope playing like this very often. When in a playful mood, adult gorillas can be seen showing this behavior too."

According to studies, apes are generally normal and happy during the early years of their lives. As National Geographic once reported, they even have a tendency to experience a happiness dip when they get older, which is similar to midlife crises experienced by humans. This means they almost have the same pattern of feelings as their nearest cousins, humans.

These unusual behaviors by apes, although indicative of positive conduct, should be carefully studied because it is sure to be useful in fully understanding how the apes feel.

Hopefully, Lope grows up to be a happy and confident ape. Who knows, the next "Planet of the Apes" movie could be a ballet musical with Lope as the lead star.