A Short History of Dance in the World
The origin of dance can be traced back to the dawn of human existence. The earliest records of humans dancing reach back more than 10,000 years to cave paintings found in India from about 8000 BCE. It is believed by some anthropologists that belly dancing is the oldest form of dance still performed today, and that it was founded in the Rajasthan Province of India and spread throughout the ancient world by the Roma people, also known as gypsies. It was most likely a religious dance at the time.
As civilizations grew, so did the art of dance. Its development has covered the gamut from ceremonial to entertainment. Wild ecstatic dancing can be found in ancient Greece in celebration of the god Dionysus, while more sedate ritualized forms were used to honor the Olympic Games, according to masterclass.com.
Dance can be found in all cultures. In the book Pride and Prejudice, Sir William considers dance as “one of the first refinements of polished society,” while Mr. Darcy retorts, "Certainly, sir; and it has the advantage also of being in vogue amongst the less polished societies of the world; every savage can dance.”
Every culture has developed its own form of dance, from aboriginal dances like the Crocodile Dance of Papua New Guinea to the Apsara Dance of Cambodia to the Highland Fling of Scotland. Those dances are now considered folk dances, and continue to be popular in their native lands.
Court dancing, which was developed in the Middle Ages through the refinement of folk dances found in Europe at the time, laid the foundation for what is now considered ballroom dancing. And it is in the courts of the European Renaissance that ballet began.
Other forms of dancing have started in the streets by everyday people, like hip hop, tango and salsa. Tango is believed to have originated in the late 19th century in the working-class ports of Buenos Aires, Argentina and Montevideo, Uruguay.
An Even Shorter History of Dance in Tennessee
“Settlers brought with them traditional dance forms like square dancing, clogging, and buck dancing, which quickly became integral to social gatherings and community events [in Tennessee],” according to worldchampionproductions.com.
While square dancing’s foundations come from English and French country dances of the 17th and 18th centuries like Morris Dancing and the Quadrille, it evolved upon arriving in North America with European settlers. From square dancing evolved country and western dancing.
Clogging primarily developed from Irish step dancing, with influences from English, Scottish, German, Cherokee, and African dance movement. Buck dancing originated with slaves in the Southern United States, heavily influencing the blues. Tap dancing evolved from clogging and buck dancing.
Dance Today
While the ten most popular styles of dance around the world today are ballet, tap, hip hop, India’s Bharatnatyam, salsa, ballroom, contemporary, breakdancing, jazz and Kathak, according to geeksforgeeks, “Dancing is a universal language of celebration and expression that breaks all cultural divides to express the foundation of human emotion.”
Today, dance is an important part of American culture. Dance in this country reflects the rich diversity of cultures and unique history.
“While the ballerina is likely the popular image of dance,” states The Encyclopedia of American Studies, “the reality is that dance in the United States has embraced and incorporated individual, cultural, and stylistic elements in an ever-changing kaleidoscope that draws from and contributes to artistic, social, religious, cultural, and even political realms. Dance can have many purposes including expression, communication, education, therapy, recreation, or entertainment and may function in personal, political, social, religious, and spiritual environments.”
As we become more and more exposed to a multicultural world, dance in its many forms is broadening and expanding. Technology is also changing the genre, offering forms of expression beyond previous perspectives.
