DANCES OF POWER

Dancing may well have appeared on the human scene long before any other type of expressive art and, along with singing, must have been one of the first and earliest pleasures. Dancing no doubt evolved from spontaneous expressions of emotion so as to eventually encompass and convey mystical and magical ideas, which in turn became ritualistic and religious in content and symbolism 23. All along, however, dance has served as a means of expression, information exchange and a form of potential entertainment for others to observe. Among our ancient ancestors, however, dance was probably also recognized as a form of potential power.

The world of the ancient human was filled with power; the power of nature, of animals, of fear, death, hunger, thirst, and sexual desire. The powers of the unseen however, were the most awesome of them all. The unseen, the unknown, of course had no form and thus could not be objectively represented, not even by name even after complex spoken language had been invented. However, the forces contained within and one's feelings regarding such powers could be displayed and communicated in the abstract, and this was accomplished through movement and dance 24.

If one can create an image of the nameless and of that which has no form then one's potential power over these forces is increased. They are now subject to one's potential control. When that image can be created in the mind of another, this is power that can be utilized to control other human beings as well.

When humans were first observed to dance, those who watched as well as those who participated were probably infected with similar feelings, fears, hopes and desires. In this way, even long after words and speech had been invented dancing assumed a magical and mystical quality as it became a powerful means of communication.

An ancient Cro-Magnon might think it magic if one were to write down something secret he had said, and then passing it to someone who could read, had it read aloud. Dancing would be viewed with just as much awe and excitement and its power enhanced even further by the frenzied participation of other tribe members. Not only thoughts and desires could be transmitted by dancing, but the feelings, hopes, and fears of others could be altered and possibly controlled. People felt compelled to dance and participate and the effects of which were always potentially hypnotic and even narcotic.

It was possibly in this manner that dance evolved into a medium involved in religion and magic ceremonies as its power was seen as being able to influence the thoughts, feeling and actions of those who observed and who felt desirous or compelled to participate. However, if it could affect the dancers and the audience, could it also affect the outcome of events or effect the lives and future of individuals or animals the dancers depicted? Certainly such thoughts must have occurred to our ancient ancestors. In this way, dance was probably seen as exerting an influence on the world itself. Humans mimic their environment through movement and sound and one of their earliest pleasures may well have been the mimicry of animals through song and dance. Humans would dance like a tiger or a bear, wear animals heads and skins, and did so so as to not only identify with nature, but to exert some controlling influences over their environment. One could dance out the hunt, the slaying of prey, or the ensuing victory over a foe. By dancing ancient man was able to exert control over the world and the outcome of all important events.

Date: 2014-12-29; view: 943