DANCING. Dances, or movements allied to dancing, have been practised widely in religious rites and cere monies from very early times. Rhythmic movements of the body, to the accompaniment of musical instru ments, however simple, seem to have been regarded as the most natural means of expressing both pious joy and devout sorrow. It seems also to have been felt that such movements served to put the worshippers in tune with the Infinite (to use a modern phrase). In a less refined form, as among dancing Dervishes, they have as a matter of fact been employed for the purpose of producing a frantic religious fervour, a divine ecstasy (see ECSTASY). According to a modern view of the matter, " the slow, measured, reverential movements characterising all religious rites of nearly every creed and race, have for their spiritual purpose the cultivation of repose and the economisatiou of the Infinite Force coming through man, so that it shall work the best results for him " (Prentice Mulford, The Gift of Under standing). In early Egypt and Babylonia religion seems to have provided the principal occasions for dancing. Thus dancing was first developed us an art in the pro cessions of Apis, the black bull. The dancing of the Arabs is proverbial. Tristram (Eastern Customs) saw Mohammedans " leaping, bounding, swaying their arms and whirling round in time to the din of drums, trumpets and cymbals which followed them." As they danced. " the men chanted or rather yelled, verses of the Koran." The Circumcision Feast tinuzaygin) was an occasion for manifesting joy by means of dancing. Dances have been a prominent feature in the worship of Krishna and Siva in India. This kind of homage has been specielly paid to Siva in his character of lord of dancing. " Further, it is well known that in ancient times women were dedicated to the service of the temples, like the vestal virgins of Europe. They were held to be married to the god and had no other duty but to dance before his shrine. Hence they were called the god's slaves (deeaddsi), and were generally patterns of piety and propriety " (Monier Williams, Religious Thought and Life in India). Among the Hebrews,
dancing seems to have been practised in the earliest times. It was never entirely abolished. They danced in the vineyards on the Day of Atonement. On the Feast of Tabernacles the men performed a torch-dance.
They danced with torches, throwing them into the air and catching them again, often performing prodigies with a dexterity acquired by long practice " (Delitzsch, Iris). In the Old Testament itself we are told that on one occasion " David danced before the Lord with alt his might " (II. Samuel vi. 14): and a psalmist ex claims, " Let them praise his name in the dance : let them sing praises unto him with the timbrel and harp " (Psalm CXL1X. '2). The Greeks devoted themselves to the art with peculiar zeal. " A whole world of dreams peopled the poetic Greece of long ago. In the hush of forests, before sacred altars, in sunshine, under star light, bands of maidens crowned with oak-leaves, gar landed with flowers, passed dancing in honour of Pan, of Apollo, of Diana, of the Age of Innocence, and of chaste wedlock " (G. Vuillier, A History of Dancing). The Romans followed the example of the Greeks. But in ancient times dancing was practised solely in con nection with religious rites and festivals. " Nemo fere saltat sobrins, nisi forte insanit " (Cicero, Pro blur. vi. 13). In China, in ancient times, as in other countries, dances were performed during a funeral. It was com manded " that the Officers of the Shields at Great Funerals arrange the implements used at the execution of dances, and at. the interment take them up, to store them away in the grave " (Cheu li. quoted by J. J. M. de Groot). The prevalence of dancing among primitive folk or savages is well known (so in Polynesia; see Gill. Prom Darkness to Light in Polynesia). See, in addition to the works already mentioned, R. Voss, Der Tani end seine Gesehichte, 1S69; Lilly Grove, Dancing, 1S95; Encycl. Bibl.