DANCING (from dance, from OF. dancer, dancer, Fr. dunscr, to dance, from OHG. danson, to drag. from dinsan, OS. thinsaw to drag: con nected with Lat. tenvs, cord, Gk. relveLv, teinein, Lith. tensti, Skt. tan, to stretch). The origin of dancing may be traced to a universal desire of expressing emotion by action. At a later period comes the clement of pantomime, the suggestion of an idea by means of motions. As far into antiquity as history reaches, every dance, wheth er belonging to eivilizei or to savage nations, was accompanied by music, or by rhythmic beats on the drum, shells, rattle, sticks, or by clapping of hands. Frequently the dance was accompanied by chants or songs. Records show in a general way that in the very earliest times people danced and sang at the same time; afterwards some danced while others sang an accompaniment, and finally musical instruments took the place of voice accompaniment. Ultimately music and the dance separated. the former improving and the latter deteriorating.
A consideration of savage dances as we find them at present (and it is remarkable how wide are the principal forms) will give us a general idea of dancing before the beginnings of civilization. Folk-dancing may be divided into three groups—social, warlike, and religions. first may he included all comic and erotic dances. Under the second we have those dances which were used to inspire the warriors before a battle, to celebrate a victory, or to tate the motions of animals after a successful The religious class comprises medicine, incantation, and mystery dances. Although this general classification does not by any means haust the list of savage dances, it will be found that. all others are derivative, or of merely local importance. In all forms of savage dancing exactness is insisted upon. Each dance has its
particular step. and among certain tribes takes on the part of the performer are often punished by death. This insistence on absolute precision is characteristic of their idea of ing. It is a serious business, and even in comic dances the performer maintains an air of lute gravity. It is of interest to note that their dances are most numerous during the summer and winter solstiees, and at such times the ures danced are almost always circular. The separate forms of savage dances are too limner ens to describe, but of greatest importance are the religious ones. A universal custom is the dancing of women while the men are away at war. It is a sort of prayer. for they cant hme it day and night, believing that by so doing they protect the warriors front evil spirits and from danger. The inedichte dances have two purposes —one to ward oil' harmful influences; the other, strange as it seems, to keep the patient awake. This latter motive is explained by the belief of savages that when a man is asleep his soul temporarily leaves his body. When he flies the departure of his soul is final; if, then, the sick man falls asleep, his soul may take advantage of the opportunity to go away and not return; and consequently the most heroic measures are em ployed to keep hint awake. In the savage mys teries. as in the Greek, dancing plays an im portant part: but so great and universal is the secrecy maintained about them that we know practically nothing of the elaborate dances used. One of the most sacred rites is the initiation of a lad to manhood. Sword, snake, and fire dances are especially developed among the American Indians.