PADIOS, HANZ CHRISTIAN G.

Bachelor of Culture and Arts Education 2 – A

October 6, 2020
Activity 2

Dance is not performed in isolation, but as part of a

more complex ritualistic activity. Rituals and
ceremonies are elaborate events, with a complex set
of actions, involving talking, includes praying,
blessing, storytelling; eating, includes drinking,
feasting; physical gestures like clapping hands,
putting one hands on others’ heads; and movement
like dancing, moving in procession, circling. While
feasting does leave clear and direct archaeological
remains, dancing leaves only elusive evidence. Thus, Figure 1
researching dancing activities of the past is mainly dependent on the identification and
analysis of dancing scenes, many of which have not
even been recognized as displaying dance. Most of
rituals performed in prehistoric times, includes figures
with a size of a palm in their events, especially in
fertility rites or rituals. Figure 1 shows the Bird-Headed
Snake Goddess that comes from predynastic Egypt
(Africa) – 4000 BCE. It beautifully combines two
powerful totems: the Bird and the Serpent – both
ancient symbols of birth, death (the soul’s body), and
rebirth. She represents unity: fusing together the
realms of Air and Earth, spiritual and tangible, and
Figure 2 Figure 2
morality with eternity. In a posture intimating dance, her arms raise high with a sense
of triumph and celebration of life. She personifies feminine power – not of violence or
domination, but power to create, nourish and sustain life, as well as to ease our
transition into the Other World at the end of life.

Figure 2 were the Venus Figurines of the European Paleolithic Era. The Venus figurines
is a term given to a collection of prehistoric statuettes of women made during the
Paleolithic Period, mostly found in Europe, but with finds as far as Siberia. To date,
more than 200 of the figurines have been found, all of whom are portrayed with similar
physical attributes, including curvaceous bodies with large breasts, bottoms, abdomen,
hips, and thighs, and usually tapered at the top and bottom. The heads are often of
relatively small size and devoid of detail, and most are missing hands and feet. Some
appear to represent pregnant women, while others show no such signs. There have
been many different interpretations of the figurines, but none based on any kind of
solid evidence. Like many prehistoric artifacts, the cultural
meaning may never be known. The size of the figurines
ranges from 1.5 inches to 9.8 inches in height. The
figurines were carved from all manner of different
materials, ranging from soft stone (such as steatite,
calcite, or limestone) to bone, ivory, or clay. The latter
types are among the earliest ceramic works yet
discovered. The statuettes may have symbolized
abundance and hope for survival and longevity, and for
well-nourished and reproductively successful communities,
during the harshest period of the major glaciation in
Europe.
Figure 3

One of the outstanding phenomena in southeast Europe is the appearance of

anthropomorphic figurines that depict dancing figures. The clearest example is known
from Dumesti, Moldavia, Romania, related to the Cucuteni culture and dated to the late-
fifth millennium BC. A large pottery jar was found buried with 12 figurines, six females
and six males. They are depicted in dynamic postures, shown in Figure 3, 4, and 5, and
were interpreted as dancing figures. Before being buried, the 12 figurines were
probably used as three-dimensional models to show dancing. Ethnographic observations
clearly indicate that mixed dances are not common in traditional societies, so it is hard
to believe that the 12 figurines were arranged
together in a circle. They may have been used
for two different purposes. They could have
been used to represent two separate dancing
circles, one male, and the other female. Or
perhaps a couples’ dance was represented, with
six mixed couples. Many similar

anthropomorphic figurines were found in very large

quantities in numerous Cucuteni sites, and possibly a
good number of these also represent dancing figures.
Since dancing is a large group activity, the association
of these figurines with dancing can explain why so
many are found.