Dancing

Among all the nations of antiquity dancing was used in the service of religion, as it still is in the East and among savage tribes. Various nations also had military dances, and some of these long survived, as in the Swi and Scotch sword-dances. The priests of Isis, Baal, Dionysus, Bacchus, Brahma and Mars all accompanied their solemnities with dancing. The pantomimic dance was highly esteemed among the Greeks; Athenæus says they had so perfected it in imitating the pa ions that the sculptors studied the attitudes of the public dancers and owed to this the beauty of their work. The Spartans made gymnastic dances compulsory for children of 5 to 12 years of age. In Rome dancing was considered disgraceful except as a religious rite until the August an Age, when pantomimic dances were introduced and famous performers received princely honors. After the fall of the Empire the Gauls alone kept up the theater and ballets while the Goths introduced martial dances. Early Christianity adopted pagan choreographic rites, and in the churches a space was set apart where the youth of both sexes performed devout ballets and sometimes even bishops led the "branle." Consequent license evoked the Church's interdict and this species of dance was rarely seen again till its revival in Italy in the 16th century. During the Middle Ages it was largely confined to the minstrels and joculators. After the Renai ance the national dances of the common people gradually found their way to court, and society adopted stately measures and rough revels as a recreation.