Study of Dance 1

What were the primary purposes of prehistoric dance?

Prehistoric dance served as a form of communication, social interaction, and was used in celebrations, ceremonies, rituals, and for spiritual reasons.

What was the role of a shaman in prehistoric dance?

Shamans possessed magical powers, served as physicians and religious leaders, and were lead dancers who used dance to keep the community healthy and safe.

How was dance connected to survival in prehistoric times?

Dance was integral to hunting, war, and fertility, with performances aimed at ensuring successful crops, herd animals, and human fertility.

What types of social functions did prehistoric dances fulfill?

Dances served various purposes, including initiation rites, courtship rituals, funeral ceremonies, and war training.

Describe common forms and accompaniment of prehistoric dances.

Dances encompassed various forms such as circle dances, line dances, and column formations, often accompanied by music or self-accompaniment.

What did prehistoric dancers wear for costumes and adornment?

Dancers wore elaborate costumes and adornments, including paint, feathers, and masks, often symbolizing gods or representing elements of nature.

How did ancient Egyptians view their pharaohs and their connection to dance?

Ancient Egyptians believed pharaohs were half-gods and that the god Athotus invented dance. Pharaohs, specifically the son of the sun god Ra, performed secret dances such as the "Dance of the Stars" in three parts: for all people, a chosen few, and priests/gods, often with the Book of the Dead as guidance.

What was the role of priests and their training in ancient Egyptian dance?

Priests, considered the next generation of shamans, performed magical dances for gods and other spiritual entities. As rituals became more complex, clans of priests emerged, trained in executing rituals (including dances) and preserving traditions. They also performed dance-dramas reenacting stories like Osiris and solar dances to determine the environment.

What were the professions available to women in ancient Egypt, and how did dance fit in?

Women could select one of four professions: priesthood, midwifery, mourning, or dancing. Temple dancers were believed to appease the gods by reenacting the search for Osiris's body through dance, music, and song to symbolize planting and harvesting.

How did dance function in both religious and secular contexts for upper-class Egyptians?

Upper-class Egyptians performed dance as part of religious activities, while trained professional dancers participated in religious festivals and performed as entertainment at banquets.

What was the significance of dwarf dancers in ancient Egypt?

Dwarf dancers were brought from Libya to perform for pharaohs, initially considered good magic. Their dances evolved from clumsy, mimicking movements to being incorporated into funeral rituals as a good omen for the afterlife, where they were included in processions to frighten off evil spirits.

What were the common themes and dramatic forms of dance in ancient Egypt?

Dance was vital for religious and life span events and communication. Themes like fertility, weapons, and funerals intertwined with religious and secular contexts. Dance-dramas (dramatic), animal imitations, and mimetic funeral dances were performed around altars for animal gods, providing religious education and expression.

Describe the people, architecture, and culture of the Cretan civilization.

The Cretan people were tall, athletic, and seafaring, with strong connections to both Egypt and Greece. Their palaces featured running water, clay pipes, and wooden pillars. Dance was central to their culture, encompassing themes of military training, healing, religious rituals, and entertainment.

What key periods define ancient Greece and their cultural characteristics?

Ancient Greece included the Dark Ages (1100-750 BC), Archaic Period (750-500 BC), Classical Period (500-336 BC), and Hellenistic Period (336-146 BC). Greek art and culture idealized beauty, perfection, harmony, proportion, and balance, reflected in sculpture and dance.

What was the significance of dance in Greek society?

Dance was an essential part of education, moral code, rituals, religion, and social life. It was integrated with music and poetry, considered an aspect of "mousike" (the art of the Muses), and believed to be a divine gift. Professional dancers (slaves, freemen, foreigners) and amateur dancers performed for various occasions.

What were the Dionysian cults and practices related to dance in Greece?

Dionysian cults were characterized by sacred madness and wild dances (oreibasia). Followers, known as maenads and satyrs, believed they were possessed by Dionysus. These orgiastic dances performed by satyrs evolved into a service honoring Dionysus.

How is dance evidence preserved from ancient Greece, and what was its connection to music?

Archaeological and epigraphical sources like vases, statues, and mosaics provide evidence of diverse Greek dances. The Greek word "orcheisthai" (dance) encompassed more than just physical movement, reflecting the inseparable connection between dance and music, often accompanied by vocal and instrumental music, with dancers sometimes singing.

Describe the structure and social function of dance in ancient Greek life.

Dance was an integral part of Greek life, performed for religious festivals, entertainment, and theatrical performances, with participation from everyone in social settings. Dances were highly structured with full-body movements, incorporating ritualistic, symbolic, or representative gestures.

Define the Greek terms 'phorai,' 'cheironomia,' 'Schmata,' and 'Deixis' in the context of dance.

• Phorai: Carriage of the body during gestures.
• Cheironomia: Carriage of the body during mimetic gestures.
• Schmata: Form and shape of short, significant movement patterns, focusing on execution (effort and shape).
• Deixis: Pure dance portraying human character, animals, or natural elements, ranging from realistic to abstract.

What was the purpose and significance of armed dances in ancient Greece?

Armed dances were essential for a young Greek man's education, promoting health and development as a warrior. Dancers demonstrated defensive and offensive movements like cutting, thrusting, dodging, and springing, often accompanied by the flute. Spartan women also performed some military dances to strengthen themselves for childbirth.

Describe the training and forms of Spartan weapon and war dances.

Spartan boys began military training at age 5, including pyrrhic dance and weapon dance. Weapon dances involved practicing movements and postures with helmets, shields, and spears to simulate battle. Specific forms included:
• Pyrrhic Dance: Part of a ritual dedicated to Apollo, involving hymns and magic for protection.
• Podism: Executing quick movement shifts for hand-to-hand combat.
• Xiphism: Rehearsing movements in mock battle-like dances.
• Homos: Leaping, jumping, vaulting over natural objects, and scaling walls.
• Tetracomos: Marching in tight formation with interlocked shields (battlefield advancement).
• Geranos: A victory dance in a twisting or snaking line. Pyrrhic dancers in competitions were trained by a choragus, and by the Greco-Roman period, both boys and girls performed them.

How did dance originate and evolve in Greek theater?

Dance in Greek theater evolved from religious rituals (Dionysian feasts) to theatrical productions by the 5th century BC. Thespis, a priest of Dionysus, is considered the first actor and "Father of Greek Theater," creating drama and the dithyramb.

What were the key roles in Greek theatrical productions involving dance?

Key roles included playwright-poets, choragus (a wealthy individual who financed the play, trained the chorus, and assisted the playwright, hiring dance instructors early on), coryphaeus (assisted rehearsals, arranged the chorus, and was the lead dancer), and choreutae (chorus members, less skilled, who played male and female roles).

What benefits did members of the Greek Theater Performer's Union receive?

Members could travel safely through foreign states and were exempt from military service and taxes.

How was a Roman theatrical performance accompanied and what did chorus members wear?

A trumpet signaled the start, a herald announced tribes, and a flute player led the chorus. Chorus costumes were less elaborate than actors', likely similar to everyday clothing, with men playing women's roles wearing masks.

How did Roman civilization originate and what was its impact?

Roman civilization borrowed elements from conquered cultures, creating a powerful and wealthy society that lasted over 1,000 years. Its collapse in 476 AD marked the end of the ancient time period in the Western Roman Empire.

What were the key political developments and contributions of the Roman Empire?

Rome became a Republic in 509 BC. Octavian (Augustus) became the first emperor in 27 BC, ushering in the 200-year Pax Romana, a period of peace, reforms, and cultural flourishing. The Roman Empire provided practical laws, protection, trade opportunities, and cultural tolerance.

Describe Roman society and its engagement with the arts.

Roman society had economic classes: nobles, knights, and common people. Latin was used for law and administration, while Greek influenced education (reading, writing, arithmetic) and culture. Romans were known for pantomime (dance-drama without words) and excelled in architecture (borrowing from Greeks and Etruscans) and engineering (aqueducts, domes).

Who were the Salii priests and what was their role in Roman religious dances?

The Salii were groups of 24 dancing priests throughout Italy who performed during specific religious festivals, ceremonies, and secular occasions. They worshipped Mars and celebrated his birthday (god of spring, fertility, and war) with dances.

What forms did dance take in Roman society and religious practices?

Dances in Rome included religious, social, and entertainment forms. Upper classes enjoyed performances, and young aristocrats were trained in dance. Religious practices involved Dionysian festivals (continued by early Greek colonials), Saturnalia celebrations (with dramatic and secular dances by Salii colleges), annual festivals with chants and processions, and purification ceremonies.

What were the various purposes of dance in Roman culture?

Dance served many purposes:
• To express religious ecstasy.
• To offer thanksgiving, praise, supplications, and express humiliation to the gods.
• To express joy at winter's departure.
• To celebrate and pay homage to Mother Earth, Mars, and Ceres (god of grain).
• To serve as an incantation to frighten evil spirits.

How did Greek games evolve in Rome, and what led to the decline of pantomime?

Greek games expanded to include music and dance contests by the 2nd century AD, with pantomime dancers winning significant monetary prizes. However, corruption and erotic performances led to the Christian church's opposition, forcing dancers to smaller towns. As the Roman Empire declined, dancers relocated to Constantinople, where dance and spectacles remained popular.

Describe dance design and dancer roles in ancient Rome.

Roman dance types included choral, line, circular, and processional dances. Priests, warriors, and mimes performed distinct movements such as leaping, triplets, measured steps, armed dances, acrobatics, wrestling, and boxing.

What characterized the Renaissance period and its social structure?

The Renaissance (rebirth) was marked by renewed interest in education and classical cultures, and a shift in power from the church to the merchant class. The Middle Ages had a stratified hierarchy, with females lacking social class and voice. Florence and Rome became centers of the High Renaissance, attracting artists like Michelangelo and da Vinci, and fostering advancements in inventions and stage arts.

What were the main categories and purposes of dance in the Middle Ages and Renaissance?

Dance was categorized as liturgical (church) or secular (society). For nobility, it demonstrated social status, etiquette, and manners, transitioning from religious to secular entertainment. For peasants, it remained significant for celebrating social and life events. Fertility was a major theme, and dances responded to societal pressures like war and pestilence.

Name some common secular dances from the Middle Ages and Renaissance.

Common secular dances included the Carole, Farandole, Morris Dances/Mummeries, and Sword Dances. Folk dances, rituals of chivalry, and feudal dances also emerged.

How did Queen Elizabeth I influence dance during the Elizabethan Era?

Dancing in the Elizabethan Era was vigorous and athletic, featuring turns and leaps. Queen Elizabeth I was an accomplished dancer and expected the same from her court.

Describe the three types of court dances widely applied in medieval Italy and France.

Court dances included:
• Entry: Nobles processed by rank into the great hall to acknowledge the king or another noble, showcasing their clothing.
• Basse Dance: Dances classified as low (basse) or high (haute), and as choral or couple dances.
• Balletto: A term for a type of dance performance.

What was the Pavane, and how did it evolve?

The pavane was a ceremonial dance performed by nobility to display their attire. It was a two-part suite performed in succession with the galliard, and its circling movement became the precursor to the grand march of the 19th-century ballroom.

What were the characteristics of the Galliard dance?

The Galliard was a vigorous dance in various triple time signatures, performed by couples. It involved holding hands, dancing around or up and down the hall, and incorporating steps like kicks, leaps, and jumps. It was embraced in Italy and France.

Describe the Saltarello.

The Saltarello was performed predominantly in Italy and Germany. It used three steps and a hop, and by the 15th century, it contained slow rises (relevés) rather than leaps.

What were some notable religious dances and dance epidemics during the Middle Ages and Renaissance?

Religious dances included those for Church Festivals, Midsummer or St. John's Eve, Church Dedication Festivals/Kermis or Kirk-Mass, May Dances, Feast of Fools, Dances of Death, and Dance Dramas. A prominent dance epidemic was "St. Vitus Dance," where people danced themselves to death, often associated with the plague.

What was the role and status of Dancing Masters in the 15th century?

Dancing Masters were responsible for teaching social dancing and etiquette to the nobility, training them in social behaviors and grace. They often achieved high ranks as companions of princes.

What were Domenico Piacenza's six prerequisites for dancers, as described in "De Arte saltandi et choreas ducendi"?

Domenico Piacenza identified six prerequisites for dancers:

1. Keep time with the music (misuro)

2. Remember the steps in sequence (memoria)

3. Have a sense of space – the floor pattern and the dimension of movements (partirer del terreno)

4. Sway/uplifting of the body (aiere)

5. Demonstrate body coordination and direction in movement (maniera)

6. Move gracefully (movemento corporeo)

What significant changes occurred in dance in the 16th and 17th centuries, particularly regarding France?

The 16th century saw a deterioration of the church's power, while the 17th century became the Baroque period and the golden age of France, which emerged as the center of art, culture, and fashion. This era saw a transition of dance dominance from Italy to France.

How did Catherine de' Medici influence the development of ballet in France?

When Catherine de' Medici moved her court from Italy to France, she brought Italian court ballet with her. She displayed wealth and power, distracting her sons from her political activities by producing many ballets with political and classical themes. She also invented high heels and perfume, and arranged "Le Ballet Comique de la Reine" in 1581.

Who was Balthasar de Beaujoyeulx, and what was his contribution?

Balthasar de Beaujoyeulx was an Italian violinist who traveled to France as Catherine de' Medici's personal servant and became famous for arranging "Le Ballet-Comique de la Reine."

Who was Thoinet Arbeau, and what was the significance of his work?

Thoinet Arbeau was a dance master and priest who published "Orchesographie," a significant record of 16th-century dances.

How did dance evolve into a profession in the 17th century in France?

In 17th-century France, both the king, musicians, and professional dancers contributed to the transition of ballet from court entertainment to a profession. Louis XIII enjoyed producing and performing in court ballets with his all-male company, who also appeared in comic and female roles.

What was the role of King Louis XIV in establishing dance as a profession?

Known as the Sun King, Louis XIV (reigned 1643-1715) established the Académie Royale de Musique, was instrumental in establishing dance as a profession for women and men, and commissioned over 1000 ballets, including "Ballet de la Nuit" (1653), depicting a metaphoric image of France in darkness.

Who was Jean Baptiste Lully, and what was his contribution to dance?

Jean Baptiste Lully (1632-1687) was the director of the Académie Royale de Musique, responsible for adding dance to the institution and promoting its professional development.

Who was Pierre Beauchamps, and what is he credited with?

Pierre Beauchamps (1636-1705) danced in the court of Louis XIV, served as the king's dancing master and superintendent