Dance

Dance, one of the three main performing arts in antiquity together with theatre and music, expresses itself through the movement of the body. In the tradition of folk dance it may also be called ballo. Dance is humankind’s first artistic expression, because its instrument is the body. In the tragedy and comedy of ancient Greece, the “chorus” expressed itself mainly by dancing in the space in front of the stage building (σχηνέ, skené), a space called ορχήστρα (orchéstra), which derives precisely from the verb ορχήομαι (orchéomai, to dance). The terms “choreography” and “choreutics” carry within them the Greek root χόρος (kóros). The Italian term “danza,” on the other hand, as well as the French danse, the English dance and the German tanz, derive from the root tan (Sanskrit), which is associated with the concept of “joy.” In the ancient Indian, Chinese and Egyptian civilizations, dance sought to depict the harmonious course of the heavenly bodies. Among the Romans, instead, it took on the form of pantomime, continuing to transform until it reached depravity. During Christianity it was condemned by the Fathers of the Church and disappeared until the Middle Ages, when it returned as folk dance. In the Middle Ages, dance continued to live on during festive occasions and soon spread to courts and castles as well. Since performing leaps, spins and somersaults was considered a rather unaristocratic way of showing off, the lords replaced them with composed gestures and movements. From this arose the distinction between the noble danza bassa (low dance) and the popular danza alta (high dance). The essential difference between the two is that in the former the feet slid along the ground and the steps were rather slow, while in the latter it was permitted to leap higher and to move with greater speed and freedom. In the princely courts the figure of the dancing master became established, lending greater prestige to festivities and ceremonies. The most fashionable dances were above all of Italian or French origin; among the former we recall the pavana (slow) and the saltarello (fast); among the latter the gavotta (moderate) and the bourré (fast). In the Cinquecento (sixteenth century), the first dance schools opened (the very first was opened in Milan by Pompeo Diobono) and the custom of dancing in couples began. From the union of high and low dances a musical form of great importance for instrumental music was born: the suite. Dance, which until then had had only the function of entertaining the guests at festivities, thanks to the work of the dancing masters began to take on the characteristics of a true spectacle, the ballet, in which more and more professional dancers gradually took part. In France, Louis XIV, called the Sun King, wished to found in 1661 the Académie Royale de Danse. At the beginning all the dancers were men. The first woman to dance, Mlle La Fontaine, took the stage in 1681. The dancers of the eighteenth century were covered by masks, wore large wigs and heeled shoes. The women wore wide, long skirts, tightly laced into their bodices. The men were certainly not much lighter. It was two women who changed things: those who at the time were regarded as the two best dancers. The Belgian Marie-Anne de Cupis de Camargo chose shoes without heels, shortened her skirts to make them less cumbersome, and abandoned masks, while her rival, Marie Sallé, abandoned the heavy costumes for garments of light veil, similar to Greek tunics. At the same time, Noverre reformed the ballet by removing wigs, awkward costumes, and movements bound to rigid and precise rules, and sought to restore freedom of movement to the body. In 1828, “lifts” of the dancer by her partner were introduced into ballets for the first time. From the 1960s onwards the audience became more varied. Many young people began to go and watch dance in the theatre. Thus athletic virtuosity, modern rhythms, and contemporary themes became more and more welcome. Many classical ballets began to be accompanied by Jazz music or even by Rock’n’Roll. This transformation gave greater impetus to the development of modern dance. Even today dancers often perfect technique more than expressiveness, and it is for this reason that the term ‘dance’ is often mistakenly used as a synonym for exercises or artistic gymnastics.

Classical dance

Classical or “academic” dance is one of the best-known expressions of dance and also the oldest genre. Its origin comes directly from Italy, from the court dances of the Renaissance. But the genre was soon taken up by the French courts as well, which developed it; indeed, most of the names of the steps of classical dance are in the French language. The posture of the body in classical dance is based on the fundamental principle of the en dehors (turned out). In this position the legs must show the audience their inner part, and the thigh must therefore rotate outward by 90° with respect to the axis of the body, tightening the muscles that form the abdominal girdle and the glutes, while keeping the spine straight. The posture of the torso must always be upright and must never appear compressed. In the same way the shoulders must be kept low, the neck well lengthened.

Folk and traditional dances

Folk and traditional dances are ancient dances, an expression of local communities that were once agricultural or mountain-dwelling. In the countries where they have survived modernization, together with the musical repertoire they require, they are danced with great liveliness, and at this moment they are once again spreading beyond their traditional borders.

Jazz dance

Jazz dance is the set of various dance styles and techniques that are not easy to label. In the past this term denoted a traditional dance of the African-American community, but it has also drawn on other cultures: it has inherited the European movement, which refined it and contributed to the elegance of movement, and the African one, which gave it the rhythmic impulse and the primitive allure. The term “jazz dance” is used to describe a type of movement in continual evolution, precisely because it is tied to the changes of culture: from the social dances of the Twenties to the development of theatrical dances, all the way to today with hip hop and Funky jazz.