In ancient Greece, dance had a significant presence in everyday life. The Greeks not only danced on many different occasions, but they also recognized several non-performative activities such as ball-playing or rhythmic physical exercise as dance. In fact, dancing to the ancient Greeks seemed like a natural response of the body, mind, and soul to music. They would dance spontaneously at weddings or drinking parties (symposia), or perform pre-arranged choreographies as exemplified by the chorus' dances in the ancient Greek theatre. Greek dances could be performed individually or in a group. They could tell a story, showcase martial and athletic skills, entertain guests, or shape processions and other key parts of religious rituals.
More about: Ancient Greek DanceDefinition
Timeline
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c. 1500 BCEImages of female dancers, perhaps goddesses or priestesses, appear on gold rings and as clay figurines in Crete.
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c. 740 BCEDipylon inscription, the oldest known text written in the Greek alphabet, labels the Dipylon wine-jug as the prize of a dance competition.
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c. 600 BCEDithyramb, a form of choral song and dance in the honour of Dionysos, emerges in Delos.
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c. 575 BCEUnisex group of line dancers on Francois Vase represent the Athenian youths and maidens saved by Theseus from the Cretan labyrinth.
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c. 550 BCE - c. 300 BCEDancing figures, men and women, frequently appear in painted and sculpted artworks all around the Greek world.
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c. 509 BCELasus of Hermione introduces the dithyramb choral competition, known as the Great Dionysia, in Athens.
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c. 400 BCE - c. 300 BCEFemale draped dancers, a particularly attractive category of Tanagra figurines, are produced in Boeotia.
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c. 200 BCEA descriptive review of Greek dance, including its history and typology, is given by Athenaeus in Book 14 of his Deipnosophists.
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c. 160 CELucian of Samosa writes De Saltatione (Of Dance), the only extant treatise on dance from antiquity, about the Roman theatrical form, pantomime, and its roots in ancient Greek dance.