The history of dance is a history of humanity itself, a fundamental activity that precedes all written records. Pinpointing when dancing was “created” is impossible, as the practice evolved naturally from basic human movement and social necessity. The history of dance is an ancient and continuous story of evolution, reflecting changes in how people communicated, worshiped, and organized their societies. This history traces movement from spontaneous prehistoric rituals to highly codified, formalized performances in early civilizations.
The Impossible Date: Prehistoric Functional Origins
The origin of dance is deeply intertwined with early human social structures and survival instincts. Before spoken language, rhythmic movement offered a potent, non-verbal means of communication and emotional expression. Anthropologists propose that early group dances strengthened communal cohesion, necessary for survival in harsh prehistoric environments. Synchronized rhythm releases endorphins and oxytocin, promoting social bonding and coordinating larger groups for tasks like hunting or defense.
Early dances were functional, often relating to the need to influence the natural world. These rituals included mimetic dances, where hunters imitated animal movements to gain spiritual power or prepare for the hunt. Other forms sought to induce ecstatic trance states, often performed by shamans to communicate with the spirit world for healing or to ensure fertility and rain.
Dance also played a role in courtship and the display of physical fitness, demonstrating an individual’s viability for mating. Evolutionary models suggest that the ability to perform complex, coordinated movements indicated good health and genetic quality. The earliest forms of human dance were practical tools for managing group dynamics, mediating spiritual beliefs, and supporting the survival of the species.
Archaeological Traces of Early Movement
While dance leaves no fossils, archaeological discoveries confirm that ritualistic movement was an established practice tens of thousands of years ago. In the Bhimbetka rock shelters in India, Mesolithic paintings (dating to around 10,000 years ago) depict figures holding hands in a circle. These scenes suggest organized communal dance, sometimes accompanied by individuals holding what appear to be musical instruments or drums.
Evidence of early ritual dance also comes from European Paleolithic caves, such as the Trois-Frères in France (c. 13,000 BCE). The famous image known as “The Sorcerer” depicts a human-animal hybrid figure, a therianthrope, often interpreted as a shaman performing a transformational dance. This figure, blending human agility with animal characteristics, suggests the use of dance in altered states of consciousness for spiritual mediation or hunting magic.
The existence of music to accompany these movements is confirmed by the discovery of early instruments. The oldest confirmed musical instruments are bone flutes crafted from bird bone and mammoth ivory, found in caves in Germany and dating back as far as 42,000 years. These sophisticated wind instruments confirm that early modern humans possessed a refined musical tradition, providing the rhythmic backdrop for movement long before the dawn of civilization.
Formalization in Early Civilizations
As societies grew into complex civilizations, dance transitioned from communal ritual to a formalized, codified practice integrated into state and religious institutions. In Ancient Egypt, dance was recorded in hieroglyphic texts and tomb art from the Old Kingdom onward, with specific choreographies tied to the worship of gods like Hathor and Osiris. Professional dancers and musicians were trained in specialized “musical troupes,” or Khener, whose performances were considered a divine offering and a means of communication with the deceased.
Egyptian funerary rites included specialized symbolic dances, such as those performed by the Muu dancers, symbolizing the passage of the deceased into the afterlife. These dances were structured sequences of angular, rhythmic movements performed on state occasions and in temple ceremonies. Dance served to reflect the cosmic order and social hierarchy, reinforcing cultural narratives.
In Ancient Greece, dance, or choreia, was linked to drama, philosophy, and education, becoming a core element of civic life. The chorus in Greek tragedy and comedy consisted of 12 to 50 performers who used synchronized dance, song, and verse to provide moral commentary and narrative context. This practice led to the creation of the term choreography, literally meaning “dance-writing,” marking an effort to document and transmit complex movement patterns.
The Romans adapted many Greek forms, but their most formalized dance ritual was the tripudium, performed by the Salii, an elite priesthood of patrician youths. Dressed in archaic military gear and armed with sacred figure-eight shields (ancilia), these “leaping priests” performed their war dance to ritually open and close the military campaign season. The movements were so ancient and codified that the precise meaning of their accompanying hymn was lost even to later Roman scholars.
From Ritual to Performance: Medieval and Renaissance Shifts
The Medieval period saw dance persist as a widespread form of social and religious expression, moving away from the state-mandated rituals of antiquity. A dominant form was the Carole, a communal circle or chain dance performed by all social classes throughout France and England (c. 1100 to 1400). In this simple, collective dance, participants often linked hands and moved sideways while singing, creating an accessible form of social bonding during festivals and holidays.
By the Italian Renaissance, the purpose of dance for the elite shifted toward social status and political display. Dancing became an accomplishment taught by professional masters and was a prerequisite for courtly life. Two primary forms emerged:
Basse Danse
The basse danse (“low dance”) involved slow, gliding steps close to the floor, allowing courtiers to display their wealth through elaborate clothing and dignified demeanor.
Haute Danse
The haute danse (“high dance”) included more vigorous steps, jumps, and lifts, showcasing a noble’s physical grace and mastery.
Court dances evolved into elaborate theatrical spectacles, serving as a form of diplomacy and propaganda used to celebrate alliances. This shift culminated in the emergence of formalized theatrical dance with works like the Ballet comique de la reine in 1581. Choreographed by Balthasar de Beaujoyeulx for the French court, this production unified poetry, music, and dance into a single, cohesive narrative, laying the groundwork for the professionalized art form of ballet.