Courtship displays result from sexual selection acting upon variable and heritable traits in a high reproductive skewed population, a typical scenario found in lekking species. In this regard, manakins are iconic Neotropical forest birds for producing elaborated dances with their colorful plumage. The Swallow-tailed Manakin is a highlight in the Atlantic Forest for its multi-male dance in a cartwheel-like flight. We reviewed the current knowledge on this species and show advances of a five-year study on coloration variability, and motor and acoustic traits. We sampled feathers and courtship behavior of banded males in south Brazil. Using videos of cooperative and solo displays, we found nine male motor elements. Transitions between these elements were stereotyped, although variability among courts was significant and dependent upon male social status. Vocalization was also variable within the dance, speeding up towards the end, in coupled synchrony with accelerating flight movements. Using phenotype networks, we found the social context (i.e., female presence) influences the display-plumage traits relationship. These results reveal an important background to upcoming studies on how sexual selection acts upon populations of this species. Towards this aim, we are currently focused on within-male and within-court consistency during the dance to test for their impact on female decisions in accepting copulation.