Timeline
HISTORY OF DANCE
Prehistoric Dance Ancient Dance Middle Ages
(Before 9000 BCE) (Circa 3300 BCE) ( 1400 AD)
During the Middle Ages, dance was a
Dance is believed to have emerged as a Egypt: Dance was integral to
form of communication among early vital pastime for all social classes. It
religious ceremonies and was
humans before the invention of incorporated both secular and sacred
performed by priests and
language. Evidence indicates that the contexts, although the church often
priestesses. Depictions in
origins of dance can be traced back to condemned certain forms of dance.
tombs show dancing as part of
around 9000 BCE in the Bhimbetka rock Popular styles included the carole and
rituals, including funerals,
shelters in India, where cave paintings estampie, contributing to various
where women danced to
depict dancing figures. celebrations and rites of passage.
express grief.
Renaissance Dance
(1600 AD) Contemporary Dance
(Mid-20th Century - Present)
The Renaissance period saw distinct
This genre encompasses a broad spectrum of styles,
advances in dance styles, characterized by
blending techniques from various dance forms, including
both courtly and country dances. The
ballet, modern, and street dance. Contemporary dance
basse dance emerged as a prominent
emphasizes fluidity, improvisation, and personal
partner dance, while lively dances such as
expression, allowing for cultural and artistic diversity. The
the galliard became popular in social
21st century has seen an explosion of new styles and
settings . This period emphasized a revival
collaborations, reflecting the vibrant cultural landscape of
of arts and culture, reflecting the values of
today1921.
the time.
