Dancing
a form of exercise or amusement in which one or more persons measured steps in accord with music.
Aristotle ranked dancing with poetry and Pindar applies the name of "The Dancer" even to Apollo. Dancing corresponds to a universal primitive instinct in man, and is practiced by the South Sea Islanders, the Forest Indians of Brazil, the Zulus, the negroes of central Africa, and the native Australians, exactly in the earlier stages of every civilized modern race. were practiced by savage warriors, as Ferocious war dances the North American Indian braves, who ication capable of carrying them to vicication capable of carrying them to victory. Th The Zulu war dance is a noble exercise for warriors, like the Pyrrhic dance of the ancient Spartans; and the dancing and spinning dervishes in the East, who work themselves into spasms dancing and spinning dervishes in the of physical excitement, esteemed for devoutness and piety. The of physical excitement, are still highly hent, are still highly idea of magic always enters into savage dancing.
The art of dancing dates back to the tion to their god Thoth. Among the ancient Jews, Miriam danced to a sound of trumpets, itself an act of worship, and David danced in procession before the Ark of God. Religious processions went with song and dance to the temples: the Cretan chorus moving in measured pace sang hymns to the Greek god Apollo, and one of the Muses (Terpsichore) was the especial patroness of the art. The Spartans practiced dancing as a gymnastic exercise and made it compulsory on all children from the age of five. The Romans in general considered it disgraceful for a free citizen to dance ex- DANCING cept in connection with religious rites, Christians practiced choral dances, which of professional dancers.
Christians practiced choral dances, which came into discredit with the love-feast or Agapæ. A survival of religious dancing is still seen even within the pale of The early Christendom, where during the Corpus Christi octave a ballet is danced every evening before the high altar of Seville Cathedral by boys from 12 to 17 years of pages of Philip III.'s time. mediæval dances were solemn and stately in promiscuous dancing. Many of the The Puritan ancestors saw deadly sin who was himself an enthusiastic dancer height during the reign of Louis XIV., Dancing reached its in character. in the court ballets. roneously with the English country- The minuet was a favorite in France dance; the Écossaise was first introfor a century; and then came the quaduced in 1760; the galop was introduced drille or contre-danse, often connected erfrom Germany; the cotillion was fashionable under Charles X.; polka was first danced at the Odéon in 1840 by a dancingmaster from Pragu blante or schottisch, was of Bohemian origin and was first brought out in Paris in 1844; the lancers was introduced by Laborde in 1861; and the waltz, originally Prague ; the polka tremoriginal form, promises to retain its Bavarian, and now modified from its the world with fashions, people have presupremacy. Though the French provide served their own old national dances and these are still danced universally. In recent years, however, a notable change has taken place in this respect. Many of the old dances have fallen into disuse. merely of classes of people are such of the old dances have fallen into disuse. has taken place in this respect. Many Characteristic of particular races or merely of classes of people are such Characteristic of particular races or Highland fling and strathspey, the Irish pipe, step-dances, the can-can, morris dances, etc. posed of dancing, posturing, and pantodances, etc. pipe, step-dances, the can-can, morris jig, the negro break-downs, sailors' hornbore a strong resemblance to the modern A ballet is a theatrical exhibition comballet d'action. In an entertainment givmimic action. The Roman pantomimes interlude founded on the myth of Leda, en to celebrate the victory of Actium, the dancers Pylades and Bathyllu leading parts; and the whole wound up with a Pyrrhic war-dance. Some trawere performed in dumb show, the doubtless, suggested the courtly dances llus taking the which became fashionable in the early days of the Renaissance. The first on dition of this form of entertainment, with a Pyrrhic war-dance. Some tra- DANCING Botta, at Tortona, to celebrate the marriage of the Duke of Milan in 1489. This was famous throughout the civilized world. From that time great events, such as royal marriages and births, were celebrated by grand productions of ballet on which enormous sums of money were lavished. These ballets were frequently historical in subject, treating of the Siege of Troy, the Conquests of Alexander, and similar events. There were also mythological, poetical, moral, and fantastic ballets, on such subjects as the Judgment of Paris, the Seasons, Truth, the Diversions of the Carnival, etc. All these were in five acts, each of which consisted of three, six, nine, or twelve entries, and in all of them singing and recitation mingled with the dancing. Catherine de Medici introduced the ballet into France, and encouraged dances by females that would now be deemed highly improper, to distract the attention of her son, Henry III., from state affairs. Henry IV. was a great supporter of the ballet, no fewer than 80 grand entertainments being given by him between 1589 and 1610. Louis XIII. and Louis XIV. carried their love of ballet to an extreme lengti, and themselves danced publicly. In 1661 the latter founded an Academy of the Dance, with Quinault as director, and Lully as composer. It was not until 1681 that female dancers appeared in public, the first being four ladies, who danced "La Triomphe de l'Amour." In the early part of the 18th century the names of professional dancers begin to appear, two of the most famous being Mlles. Salle and Camargo, immortalized by Voltaire. The great male dancer of this time was Dupré, the predecessor of the universally known Gaetano Vestris.
In 1697 De la Motte introduced more changes into the ballet, chiefly in the direction of more interesting subjects, and about the same time comic ballets were invented by Danchet; but no important alterations were made till the advent of Jean George Noverre in 1749.
The dancers wore masks, huge wigs and headdresses, and hoops. The mask finally disappeared in 1773. Hitherto the form of the ballet had remained practically unchanged, each act being performed by different dancers, and generally in different styles of dancing. Noverre invented the ballet d'action, and revived the art of pantomime. Dancing now had dramatic meaning, and the most intricate plots were represented by pantomime alone. The principles of Noverre were carried to great perfection by Vincenzo Galleotti in Copenhagen, and by his successor, Bournonville. Under the Directory a form of grand ballet was revived. DANCOURT in which patriotic songs were a distinctive feature. The history of the ballet since Noverre's time is a history of dancers rather than of dancing. In England, this class of entertainment was never more than an exotic, and has practically no history. The word balette is first used in English by Dryden (1667), and the earliest attempt at a descriptive ballet seems to have been "The Tavern Bilkers," played at Drury Lane in 1702. Within the last few years an important revival of the ballet has taken place in Italy, where the famous "Excelsior," by the Chevalier Luigi Manzotti, Messalina, Amor, etc., have furnished magnificent examples of the ballet d'action.
Skirt-dancing, so-called on account of the voluminous skirts made of sheer or flimsy material, which are worn by the dancers and play so important a part in their dances, has become a science and a popular attraction on the stage. The dancers, by the clever manipulation of their draperies and assisted by light effects, assume such forms as flowers; the rose, calla lily, pansies, pinks; butterflies of different colors, and flags of various nationalities; all to the accompaniment of music. Among the most noted skirt dancers were Amelia Glover, Loie Fuller, the inventor of the serpentine dance, Papinta, and Anna Held. The beginning of the twentieth century saw a great revival in the popularity of dancing, both in spectacular and individual dances.
Interpretive dancing also was developed by many foreign and American artists. Russian dances became especially popular in the United States and elsewhere. Among the most famous of the Russian dancers were Mme. Pavlowa and Michael Fokine. Mr. and Mrs. Vernon Castle introduced in the United States a variety of dances which became exceedingly popular, and for a time dancing became well-nigh an epidemic. Various dances, some of them derived from the barbaric dances of savage tribes, were found so objectionable that they were suppressed. The late development of the dance was the so-called jazz, which developed in a large variety of forms.
Dancing became one of the courses in the public schools and children were instructed in folk and interpretive dances on a large scale.
DANCOURT (don-kör'), properly FLORENT CARTON, a French playwright and dramatic artist; born in Fontainebleau in 1661. His best low comedies or farces were: "The Fashionable Chevalier"; "The Winsome Gardener." He presented village life with perfect truth, and was master of village patois. He after Molière for low comedy.