The antique Greek dance, after sculptured and painted figures . Fig. 481. and adds the rattle of the castanets, to which she executes her rhyth-mic movements. The musician, who is seated, is a professional; therefore, she be-longs to a class which acquired an unsavory reputation in must be admitted that this scene takes place in one of those man-sions of joy where dancers and flute-players found constant occu-pation. Of the same world, it would seem, are the teacher and pupil whoface one another in Fig. 483. The former leans upon a rod of for- STUDIES OF THE DANCER 197 midable aspect
The antique Greek dance, after sculptured and painted figures . Fig. 481. and adds the rattle of the castanets, to which she executes her rhyth-mic movements. The musician, who is seated, is a professional; therefore, she be-longs to a class which acquired an unsavory reputation in must be admitted that this scene takes place in one of those man-sions of joy where dancers and flute-players found constant occu-pation. Of the same world, it would seem, are the teacher and pupil whoface one another in Fig. 483. The former leans upon a rod of for- STUDIES OF THE DANCER 197 midable aspect, which certainly is not intended for use in beatingtime, as the young girl marks time herself by rattling the Step is difficult to recognize; perhaps it is nothing more than asimple sliding walk, with the play of the head and arms formingthe principal part of the dance. 329. The Gymnastics of the Dance.—The many exercises, wres-tling, running, discus-tliroxcing, casting the javelin, etc., were prac-. Fig. 482. ticed by the children and by the professional athletes. Both usedthe gymnastics of the dance, which Plato called the mimetic ele-ments of art, and which were intended to make the body supple:they were often very painful. In fact, the elementary movements of the Greek dance were notessentially different from the other gymnastics in use at the the professionals the children learned the Pyrrhic dances,which is enough to prove that they received the same proof is given by both Plato and Xenophon, who speak ofcertain instruction given the professionals as dance-gymnastics. 330. An effort to make out a programme of study from the paint- 198 STUDIES OF THE DANCER ings and sculptures, and the texts of writers would read about asfollows: Positions of legs,—equilibrium of the dancer. Preparatory exercises: Bending, Separating, Battements, Circleswith the Legs ( ?), movements of the Arms, the Hands and the Fin-gers,—movements of the B
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, bookpublisherl, booksubjectdance
