The antique Greek dance, after sculptured and painted figures . Fig. 500. Fig. 501 is a relief from a vase of the third century B. C.—verypoor work, as far as the technique goes, but of charming dancer on the left isa young Pan, horned,with the feet of a leads a young girl bythe hand, their arms lift-ed high, just as was thefashion in France in theelegant days of the seven-teenth century. Thelovely painting is an al-legory,—t h e story ofEcho. The girl is uncon-sciously pliant; Panbeats the rhythm with hisfingers. They advancewith small steps on thehalf-toe. The girls ges-tu
The antique Greek dance, after sculptured and painted figures . Fig. 500. Fig. 501 is a relief from a vase of the third century B. C.—verypoor work, as far as the technique goes, but of charming dancer on the left isa young Pan, horned,with the feet of a leads a young girl bythe hand, their arms lift-ed high, just as was thefashion in France in theelegant days of the seven-teenth century. Thelovely painting is an al-legory,—t h e story ofEcho. The girl is uncon-sciously pliant; Panbeats the rhythm with hisfingers. They advancewith small steps on thehalf-toe. The girls ges-ture with the tunic is one of finished elegance. It is probable that the painter, though dealing with a mytholog-ical subject, had the living models before his eyes. When the man. Fig. 501. 210 CHOREGRAPHY and woman hold hands, the work is sure to be of comparativelyrecent date. Of the more ancient work that served as its prototype,little remains. One exception is to be noted: the motif is not usedin work anterior to the third century B. C. nor on the Hellenisticbas-reliefs. It is, therefore, safe to say that men and women didnot as a rule touch each other in dancing. 339. The three examples given prove, as exceptions are said to do,the rule. This sweeping statement does not take into account the flyingfigures of Pompeii, because they are merely decorative motifs,—images representing scenes of Bacchic loves, and their value is opento doubt. They bear a certain relation to Greek art, but Greekart of a debased period, which inspired the dances of Italy. Those copyists were quite ignorant of the repugnance of Greekartists toward couples so daringly interlaced: around the earth wemay trace the Satyr and Menade executing—a Boston step! STEPS FOR THREE 340. Three
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, bookpublisherl, booksubjectdance
