Ferraris, Carlotta Grisi. Adeline
Genee. Anna Pavlova. Fedorova, &c. Various Eastern Examples.

[Illustration: Fig. 1.--Dancing to the clapping of bands. Egyptian,
from the tomb of Ur-ari-en-Ptah, 6th Dynasty, about 3300 B.C. (British
Museum.)]

* * * * *

Historic Illustrations of Dancing.

CHAPTER I.

EGYPTIAN, ASSYRIAN, HEBREW AND PHOENICIAN DANCING.

In this work it is not necessary to worry the reader with speculations
as to the origin of dancing. There are other authorities easily
accessible who have written upon this theme.

Dancing is probably one of the oldest arts. As soon as man was man he
without doubt began to gesticulate with face, body, and limbs. How
long it took to develop bodily gesticulation into an art no one can
guess--perhaps a millennium.

In writing of dancing, one will therefore include those gesticulations
or movements of the body suggesting an idea, whether it be the slow
movement of marching, or the rapid gallop, even some of the movements
that we commonly call acrobatic. It is not intended here to include
the more sensual movements of the East and the debased antique.

Generally the antique dances were connected with a religious ritual
conceived to be acceptable to the Gods. This connection between
dancing and religious rites was common up to the 16th century. It
still continues in some countries.

In some of the earliest designs which have come down to us the dancers
moved, as stars, hand in hand round an altar, or person, representing
the sun; either in a slow or stately method, or with rapid trained
gestures, according to the ritual performed.

Dancing, music and poetry were inseparable. Dancing is the poetry of
motion, and its connection with music, as the poetry of sound, occurs
at all times. In our own day musical themes are marked by forms
originally dance times, as waltz time, gavotte time, minuet time, etc.

[Illustration: Fig. 2.--Greek figures in a solemn dance. From a vase
at Berlin.]

Amongst the earliest representations that are comprehensible, we have
certain Egyptian paintings, and some of these exhibit postures that
evidently had even then a settled meaning, and were a phrase in the
sentences of the art. Not only were they settled at such an early
period (B.C. 3000, fig. 1) but they appear to have been accepted and
handed down to succeeding generations (fig. 2), and what is remarkable
in some countries, even to our own