Dance and ReligionRitual Dance – Purposes  Comm

Dance and

Religion



Ritual Dance – Purposes
 Communicating with the Gods

 Usually portray ideas that are important to a
specific culture

 Religion

 Moral values

 Work ethic

 Historical information

 Today the many of the dances no longer
contain the ritual significance as they have
been absorbed into contemporary society



Dance and Religion
 Watch the track: Dance of the European

Church

From: Dancing Program 2: Lord of the Dance
(DVD 2): Dancing: Lord of the Dance. Prod.
Jane Alexander, Geoff Dunlop, and Rhoda
Grauer. ArtHaus Musik, 1993. Academic Video
Online: Premium Database. Web

https://search-alexanderstreet-
com.ccbcmd.idm.oclc.org/view/work/bibliogra
phic_entity|video_work|442343

https://search-alexanderstreet-com.ccbcmd.idm.oclc.org/view/work/442345
https://search-alexanderstreet-com.ccbcmd.idm.oclc.org/view/work/bibliographic_entity|video_work|442343


Dance and Religion

 Judeo-Christian Tradition

 As Christianity spread through the remains of the

Roman Empire and into the Middle Ages dance was

either absorbed into religious ceremony or remained

outside the church and survived as folk dances.

 Dance of the Seises (The Dance of the Innocents) The

religious dance performed in Seville Cathedral (Spain)

during the celebrations of Corpus Christi and the

Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary.

 Liturgical Dance is coming back in several different

denominations – but not all churches accept dances

performed within the walls of the church



Dance and Religion
 Watch the track: Dance of the Nigerian Osun

Worship

 From: Dancing Program 2: Lord of the Dance
(DVD 2): Dancing: Lord of the Dance. Prod.
Jane Alexander, Geoff Dunlop, and Rhoda
Grauer. ArtHaus Musik, 1993. Academic Video
Online: Premium Database. Web

https://search-alexanderstreet-
com.ccbcmd.idm.oclc.org/view/work/bibliogra
phic_entity|video_work|442343

https://search-alexanderstreet-com.ccbcmd.idm.oclc.org/view/work/442368
https://search-alexanderstreet-com.ccbcmd.idm.oclc.org/view/work/bibliographic_entity|video_work|442343


Dance and Religion

 Yoruba speaking peoples of West Africa –
Nigeria

 Dance opens a direct channel of
communication to the gods (Orishas)

 Spirits of ancestors are know as Egungun

 Osun-river goddess

 Offspring of Yoruba traditions

 Candomble-Brazil

 Vodun-Hati

 Santeria-Cuba, New York and Miami



Dance and Religion
 Watch the tracks: Dance of the Indian Snake

God, Dance of Indian Religious Festivals and
Dance of the Indian Bharata Natyam

 From: Dancing Program 2: Lord of the Dance
(DVD 2): Dancing: Lord of the Dance. Prod.
Jane Alexander, Geoff Dunlop, and Rhoda
Grauer. ArtHaus Musik, 1993. Academic Video
Online: Premium Database. Web

https://search-alexanderstreet-
com.ccbcmd.idm.oclc.org/view/work/bibliogra
phic_entity|video_work|442343

https://search-alexanderstreet-com.ccbcmd.idm.oclc.org/view/work/442369
https://search-alexanderstreet-com.ccbcmd.idm.oc ...

1. Dance and

Religion



Ritual Dance – Purposes



specific culture










contain the ritual significance as they have
been absorbed into contemporary society



Dance and Religion


Church

From: Dancing Program 2: Lord of the Dance

2. (DVD 2): Dancing: Lord of the Dance. Prod.
Jane Alexander, Geoff Dunlop, and Rhoda
Grauer. ArtHaus Musik, 1993. Academic Video
Online: Premium Database. Web

https://search-alexanderstreet-
com.ccbcmd.idm.oclc.org/view/work/bibliogra
phic_entity|video_work|442343

https://search-alexanderstreet-
com.ccbcmd.idm.oclc.org/view/work/442345
https://search-alexanderstreet-
com.ccbcmd.idm.oclc.org/view/work/bibliographic_entity|video
_work|442343


Dance and Religion

-Christian Tradition

ough the remains of the

Roman Empire and into the Middle Ages dance was

either absorbed into religious ceremony or remained

outside the church and survived as folk dances.



religious dance performed in Seville Cathedral (Spain)

during the celebrations of Corpus Christi and the

Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary.

3. denominations – but not all churches accept dances

performed within the walls of the church



Dance and Religion


Worship


(DVD 2): Dancing: Lord of the Dance. Prod.
Jane Alexander, Geoff Dunlop, and Rhoda
Grauer. ArtHaus Musik, 1993. Academic Video
Online: Premium Database. Web

https://search-alexanderstreet-
com.ccbcmd.idm.oclc.org/view/work/bibliogra
phic_entity|video_work|442343

https://search-alexanderstreet-
com.ccbcmd.idm.oclc.org/view/work/442368
https://search-alexanderstreet-
com.ccbcmd.idm.oclc.org/view/work/bibliographic_entity|video
_work|442343


Dance and Religion

–
Nigeria

4. communication to the gods (Orishas)

are know as Egungun

-river goddess



-Brazil

-Hati

-Cuba, New York and Miami



Dance and Religion


God, Dance of Indian Religious Festivals and
Dance of the Indian Bharata Natyam


(DVD 2): Dancing: Lord of the Dance. Prod.
Jane Alexander, Geoff Dunlop, and Rhoda
Grauer. ArtHaus Musik, 1993. Academic Video
Online: Premium Database. Web

https://search-alexanderstreet-
com.ccbcmd.idm.oclc.org/view/work/bibliogra
phic_entity|video_work|442343

https://search-alexanderstreet-
com.ccbcmd.idm.oclc.org/view/work/442369
https://search-alexanderstreet-
com.ccbcmd.idm.oclc.org/view/work/442370

5. https://search-alexanderstreet-
com.ccbcmd.idm.oclc.org/view/work/442371
https://search-alexanderstreet-
com.ccbcmd.idm.oclc.org/view/work/bibliographic_entity|video
_work|442343


Dance and Religion

– Hinduism


essence one)


varied tradition of religious inquiry.


approaches to worship.

– a martial art – daily devotional
exercises to the deities

Tullal – “running and jumping”

– visual poetry, centuries old dance
drama

– evolved from sacred temple
dance



Folk Dance

– they

6. became more social in nature and

influenced by other cultures



different people



society as court dances began to evolve

from ritual dances




For this assignment, you'll use the readings to think of a
political issue today and
how debates around federalism impact various understandings
of that issue. You'll
find a news source online that discusses that problem and then
write a substantive
paragraph in which you summarize that source (be sure to
include a citation) and
explain how it connects back to debates about federalism. For
example, if you are
interested in mass incarceration, you might find a source that
examines the federal
prison system or federal policing agencies versus the idea of
crime as a distinctly
local matter. Other issues that you might choose to write about
in terms of federal
and state (or federal and local) disagreements include
immigration, policing, the

7. COVID-19 pandemic, taxation, education, healthcare, water,
climate change, voting,
or any other issue of your choosing.

Here is an example of correct citational practice and an article
that would work well
for this assignment on how debates about federalism continue to
shape politics
today:

Arun Gupta, "In Portland, Questions Swirl Around Local
Police's Coordination with
Federal Officers," The Intercept, July 24, 2020:
https://theintercept.com/2020/07/24/portland-federal-police-
protests/

.

https://theintercept.com/2020/07/24/portland-federal-police-
protests/