Since the creation of dance, the purpose was for rituals, entertainment or personal pleasure. Today dance still has the same purpose but has expanded tremendously in style and meaning. My gallery shows the different periods of dance through various cultures, styles, meanings, and the affect that dance has on people's emotions.
Dancing Woman, Rabindranath Tagore, 1928/1940, From the collection of: National Gallery of Modern Art
Dance was first used for rituals or spiritual guidance.
Ritual dance of the kayapó natives from the Kuben-kran-ken tribe, 1957 Pará. Brazil, Medeiros, José, 1957, From the collection of: Instituto Moreira Salles
Dancing has been used in rituals and spiritual guidance since the beginning of time.
Dancers, Edgar Degas, 1884 - 1885, From the collection of: Musée d’Orsay, Paris
Dance used as entertainment.
In every culture dance is used as a form of entertainment, whether you are watching a dance production or you are engaging in the dance yourself.
Dance at Le Moulin de la Galette, Auguste Renoir, 1876, From the collection of: Musée d’Orsay, Paris
Dance as personal pleasure.
Dance has also been used for personal pleasure since the creation of dance. Dancing can be very emotional to some people or it can be a form of exercise.
Gypsy Dance in the Gardens of the Alcázar outside the Pavilion of Charles V, Alfred Dehodencq, 1851, From the collection of: Museo Carmen Thyssen Málaga
Cultural Dances.
Every culture has different styles and meanings of dances. Some dances can express grief, or sadness while others can express joy.
The Wedding Dance, Pieter Bruegel the Elder, 1566, From the collection of: Detroit Institute of Arts
Commonalities of dance.
Although each culture has many different styles or uses for dancing, they all share common characteristics.
War dance, Thomas John Grant (artist), 1851, From the collection of: Te Papa
Differences in Dance.
Dance can be used for rituals, ceremonies, war, or entertainment.
Live Ideas: Baldwin Through Dance, Charles O. Anderson, 2014-04-26, From the collection of: New York Live Arts
Modern Dance.
In today's society, dance is mostly used for entertainment or pleasure. Dance has come a long way since the creation, but it is still used and popular in just about every culture.
Credits: All media
This user gallery has been created by an independent third party and may not represent the views of the institutions whose collections include the featured works or of Google Arts & Culture.
