1. Courtney Yost
Ms. Tillery
AP Literature
17 November 2011
The History of Dance and its Importance in Life
The art of dance has always been a prominent characteristic in society and religion
throughout the ages. Many cultures express themselves through the act of moving to convey their
thoughts and religious beliefs. Nowadays, many use dance as a way to meet and relate to people,
articulate emotions, and to push the limits of performance to a new level. Above all, dance
provides a great cardiovascular and aerobic workout for both children and adults. For many,
dance is an essential part of life, without it, people would not be able to function well in society,
and would have no healthy outlet for strong sentiments. Dance has made its mark on history by
even defining fashion and behavior in certain decades. Pre-historic Greece marked an epoch in
the development of dance, continued the course of history, and maintained its importance up to
present, modern day social dancing.
Contrary to today, the Bronze-Age civilization of Greece, on the island of Crete,
performed dances for harvesting and animals. It is even written in Homer’s Iliad that there
is a scene with “a vintage dance where youths, both men and women, dance as they harvest the
grapes, while in their midst a boy plays the lyre and sings the Linus-song” (Bleiberg vol. 2 ). The
Iliad showed how the people of Crete used dance as a form of a harvest festival and how they
thought this dance would help with the harvest of grapes. It conveyed that it was a time of
celebration and happiness for the youth of Crete. Another dance founded on the island of Crete
2. was called the Geranos “where performers imitated the flight of cranes, or costumed themselves
as cranes,” or it was also contemplated that they were not dressed as cranes but dressed “to
represent a snake…in rituals to honor a great serpent such as a python” (Bleiberg vol. 2). The
Geranos dance was a way of expressing their admiration and respect for a snake or a crane. They
believed in the sacredness and were awestruck of the animals because of their almightiness.
Hyporchema, another dance of Crete, was “a lively choral hymn sung to the god Apollo which
included interpretative dancing… festivals and sacrifices to the god” (Bleiberg vol. 2). Dancing
during a sacrificial ritual was a very common aspect of Pre-historic Greek life, and was thought
to be very respectful and a gift to the god. They danced and sang for the god Apollo, the god of
the sun, in a festive way, while also giving sacrifices to him. Ultimately in Pre-historic Greek
times, dance was used for sacrifices to gods and the appreciation of nature.
Lituragal dance became a monumental feature in the Church, especially when
celebrating Christmas and Easter. Europe became an emphatic “primary mode of religious
expression” (Friedland) and a “tradition [that] continued throughout the Middle Ages…[with]
girls dancing during the Easter celebrations in London and references to thirteenth-century
clerics in Gournay (near Rouen, France) dancing as a part of the feasts of the Innocents and of St.
Madeline” (Bleiberg vol. 3). Religious celebrations, such as Christmas and Easter, were a time
when the Church infused dance to celebrate the festivities of the holidays. Prayers were recited
while dancing during these sacred occasions and were encouraged greatly at every
commemoration. Though contrary to the festive dances, members of the Church, such as monks
and bishops were declaring “that dancing was frowned upon because it was considered to have
pagan as well as erotic overtones” (Bleiberg vol. 3). During this time, it was thought that people
who were caught dancing were dancing for the devil and not anything spiritual. There were
3. rumors that terrible things would happen to those around people who danced, so dancing in
public became fearful for those who believed in such tales. Nevertheless, dance was a very vital
aspect in religion, but also a dark omen for those who deemed it so.
Later, in the Middle Ages, dancing became more of a social gathering rather than a
spiritual rite. In the country side and even in the court “it could be a way of expressing
happiness, a casual relief from the toils of daily labors, an occasion for amorous flirtation, or a
vehicle for displaying elegance and wealth” (Bleiberg vol. 3). Dancing in the Middle Ages freed
many people from the troubles of life, and instead gave them something to look forward to and
gave an outlet for those not well-known in society to mingle. The dancing could consist of big
groups, or for partners, but nothing very physical. There were also two distinctly different
dances, the first was a Convential Dance, “in which a single set of steps is repeated over and over
until the music stops,” the other was choreographed dances where “each dance has a unique
sequence of steps” (Bleiberg vol. 3). Both types of dances were extremely diverse from one
another in that they both had different purposes and foundations. Both have survived to this very
day in society, but are very different these days. In the Middle Ages, there were also many new
occasions to dance outside of the religious and spiritual reasons, where “people danced at
weddings, on holidays, and at political or cultural gatherings, as well as for simple evening
entertainment” (Bleiberg vol. 3). Occasions for dancing have not greatly differed over the
centuries, but dancing styles have indeed changed. The main difference in the events is that
society normally does not dance for religious or spiritual occasions. In short, many of the basic
forms of dancing today were discovered centuries ago and admired greatly.
After the Middle Ages, dance was a very influential feature in French society where the
Court presented ballet regularly, and even king Louis XVI performed with them. With the
4. French being so enthusiastic about ballet, they incorporated it in Operas “to ensure that dance
was an accompaniment and enhancement to the sung drama” whereas the “role of dancing was
expanded beyond a mere diversion and brought into the central flow of the opera's story line”
(Bleiberg vol. 5). In the establishment of ballet, the dances during the opera performances were
originally performed by men, but some women got to be in the shows if they hid their faces with
masks. Dance was incorporated in the operas to enchant the audience and give the real show a
break. After accompanying the Opera, the French brought a new style forward for ballet with
storytelling because “a tension soon developed between the demands of technical brilliance and
dramatic representation [in the Opera]” (Bleiberg vol. 5). People all around soon realized that
there was a lot more to ballet than just entertainment. Ballet became a dramatically challenging
feature in the entertainment business of not only France, but Europe as a whole. Since the start of
ballet in France, ballet has become a very trying art form and has kept up its expectations and
respect throughout the years.
Ballet created a platform and solid background for various ballroom dances such as the
Salsa, the Foxtrot, Swing dance, the Charleston, the Samba, the Rhumba, and the Tango. Times
were changing to where the “main impetus of social dancing was the music's rhythm and the
impulse that it gave to dancing” (Escoffier). Most people wanted to go out and have a good time
by dancing with a partner to one of the newest songs or styles of dancing, which were all
collaborative. Taking someone dancing for a date was considered the thing to do when partner
dancing became the new fad. Out of all the partner dances, the Foxtrot was the most illustrious
“because it combined slow and quick steps, allowing for an increased diversity of dance-floor
movement” (Edelman). During such a time when modesty was becoming vastly overrated, the
foxtrot was a way people could get together and dance up-close with one another. The
5. movements were easy enough to follow for the average person wanting to learn a new dance and
do it well enough to impress their dance partner. Aside from the little population that disagreed
with partner dancing in the twentieth Century, many people enjoyed the risqué yet fun styles of
dancing and still partake in the many forms of partner dances to this day.
Nowadays, dance is a very social form of life that is innovative, fun, and always
affecting with whichever way societies’ current is moving. Hip-hop and break dancing are forms
of dance that derived from street dancing and consisted of “acrobatic moves—such as splits,
headstands, flips, and handsprings—spinning on their shoulders, backs, and heads in an often
dazzling display of athletics and choreography” (Baughman vol. 9). Being influenced by gangs
and their inventive solution to gang violence, hip hop was and still is frowned upon by those
more conservative in their way of life. Hip hop is very much praised by the younger generation,
giving them a way to dance that is not necessarily structured and a fun way to express oneself.
Modern dance became a new form of expression “unlike classical ballet, modern dance was
spontaneous, expressionistic, jazzy…” it had the feel of “…uncertain balance between walking
and falling, and constructed a rigorous dance technique around it” (Baughman vol. 5). Many who
did not like the strictness of ballet turned to Modern and found it to be a new, excellent way to
communicate new ideas and feelings. With having to convey the message of the dance not only
through body, but through facial expressions, it allowed dancers to spread original thoughts
through this form of dance. With attention to expressing oneself, hip hop and modern dance are a
couple of the many influential dances of this time.
Previously, dance was just a form of entertainment, but now it is a source of exercise
that helps maintain a healthy and active body. The AARP stated that “regular physical activity in
general can help keep your body, including your brain, healthy as you age” (Let's Dance to
6. Health). Your body, through dance, can tone up in a matter of few days and helps maintain
muscle while aging. It is encouraged to dance regularly to keep your body fit by constant
physical movement and is beneficial to your brain by having to keep up with memory by
memorizing steps. Dance is a perfect way to stay in shape because it “consists of cardiovascular
conditioning, strength and resistance training, and flexibility.” (Sisk) In dance, there are no
weights or machines, but the human body has to resist gravity and has to learn flexibleness to
perform the many trying moves. The human heart stays fit from the fast motions of the body and
the activeness of every muscle. For this reason, many people these days stay active and fit
through dancing.
In conclusion, dance has been a fundamental aspect in any society throughout the ages.
From the beginning of time, dance has upheld its essentialness in every cultures way of life, and
remained important through physical activity and expression through art in this age in time. The
Cretans began with dancing for gods and animals to show appreciation and admiration. Derived
from that, the Church had its quarrels about the nature of dance and its intentions in life. As a
result, the Middle Ages changed dance to a charismatic and fun gathering of people with set
steps and movements. With the idea of dance being entertainment, the French created a new style
that set forth many new ideas for performing. Ballet began the basic essentials for partner
dancing in the twentieth century of America when the foxtrot was a breakthrough in dance
history and extremely popular. Closer to the twenty-first century, dance became a freedom of
expression through youth with Hip hop, break dancing, and modern dance. Furthermore, dance
became a form of exercise and a base for a healthy life for as long as one lives. In summary,
dance has made a huge contribution to history, wellness, and physical and mental health.
7. Works Cited
Baughman, Judith S. "Dance." Gale Virtual Reference Library. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Nov. 2011. .
"Hip-Hop Culture." Gale Virtual Reference Library. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Nov. 2011.
. AARP. "Let's Dance to Health." aarp.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Nov. 2011.
Bleiberg, Edward I. "Conventional Dance Formations and Steps ." Gale Virtual Reference
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Bleigberg, Edward I. "The Rise of the Ballet in France." Gale Virtual Reference Library. N.p.,
n.d. Web. 17 Nov. 2011. .
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2011. .
Escoffier, Jeffrey. "Social Dancing." Gale Virtual Reference Library. N.p., n.d. Web.
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Friedland, Leeellen. "Dance: Popular and Folk Dance [First Edition]." Gale Virtual
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Sisk, Jennifer E. "Exercise." Gale Virtual Reference Library. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Nov. 2011. .