Abstract


 Dance maintained an important role in antiquity and was believed to be a ritual act that should be treated and performed with the outmost respect, regardless of its severe or ludicrous character. Despite the lack of adequate data, ancient sources now and again provide enough details on dance rituals, so as to be able to recognize and even more reconstruct the structure and order of an ancient performance, the so-called “τάξις” of Alkman. The cult of Pan and the Nymphs was deeply connected to dance and music. They were mostly celebrated in outdoor shrines and sacred grottos throughout the Greek countryside. Numerous votive offerings depict the circular dance of these vegetation deities, a dance representation where the researcher can recognize specific roles amongst the participants: the dance leader, the principal dancer, the chain of dancers and the musician. Their position in the dance ensemble was ranked accordingly, however, sex, age, appearance, and social status were also determining factors always taken into consideration. 

Highlights

  • Dance played an important role in antiquity, as it was considered an 1 We find dance prevalent among the expression of human feelings in all aspects of everyday life

  • It was a Greeks from the earliest times. It is frequently mentioned in the Homeric ritual act, through which society achieved contact with natural for- poems: in the suitors of Penelope ces, and at the same time an opportunity for interference of divine will in delight themselves with music and human affairs

  • In ancient Greece people participated in various religious fes- dancing (Odyssey α.152, 421, η.304), Odysseus is entertained at the court of tivals and other ceremonies, either to ensure fertility to their crops, or to pre- Alcinoos with the exhibitions of very pare for war and celebrate victories

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Summary

Introduction

Dance played an important role in antiquity, as it was considered an 1 We find dance prevalent among the expression of human feelings in all aspects of everyday life. Dance was an important ritual event and as such it should be treated and performed with overwhelming respect regardless of its severe or ludicrous character On his treatise On Dance (74-75, 83) Lucian recalls a dancer who exaggerated his movements during his performance, causing the laughter of the spectators and leading the audience to various misunderstandings. The lack of adequate data and written evidence from these early periods, does not allow us to link these performances to a particular religious or ritual context and so most researchers base their conclusions on mere assumptions (TÖLLE 1964; WEGNER 1968; WICKERT MICKNAT 1982) Be that as it may, our information about dance from later sources is on the one hand sufficient to enable us appreciate its role in society, but on the other totally inadequate to form any idea of how these dances were performed.. In the 5th century AD the Greek grammarian Hesychius provides us the information that the dance leader was called γερανούλκος

The dance of Pan and the Nymphs
The principal dancer
The last dancer
The musician
Ancient Sources
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