1.8: Dances of the Levant

Greco-Roman dance can be traced through the many artifacts, vases, reliefs, and other archaeological finds telling a story of the ancient past. One such story is that of the Bacchanal, the orgiastic dances inspired by Dionysius, the god of wine and revelry. Early dance theory and criticism can found in the writings of Socrates and Plato, pantomime laid the foundation for dance and theatre. However, the lewd and vulgar pantomime brought about the dances of Judea, where the role of the body was reclaimed as a pure, spiritual tool. Jewish dances reflected community, coming of age, and gender definition. From there, dance made an appearance in Christian worship, with pagan roots to Orthodoxy, dance in Christendom was used in the Middle Ages as a proxy for spiritual purification, ritual, then as a political apparatus.

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