From Prehistoric Art to Modern Dance

The most ancient of human beings have left proof of their presence in what can adequately be described as art. A prehistoric art, in the kind of cave paintings, stone tools, rock and bone carvings, that, even just after this terrific span of time, can inform us of their sensitive artistry, and show us their talent and capabilities in depicting their planet in performs of normally wonderful aesthetic beauty when noticed via the eyes of contemporary day artists.

It appears that the human being has an urge to develop a pictorial record, for what ever objective we can only picture, if certainly there was a goal. Their operates have endured and can be observed in the cave paintings of Lascaux, France and Altamira, Spain, believed to be a lot more than 30,000 years old.

And a frequent representation of the human kind is discovered in the several carved figurines that have been unearthed, believed to be fertility symbols, such as the well-known 11 centimeter higher carving now resting in Vienna's All-natural History Museum, identified as the Venus of Willendorf, that is extra than 25,000 years old.

Dozens of comparable human pictures have been located, extra than 90% of them being female, with most of them exhibiting the identical common qualities, normally being obese and pregnant. The oldest located to date, carved from mammoth ivory is extra than 40,000 years old.

And there is rock art dating from Neolithic instances, some probably as old as ten,000 years. The Tassili cliff paintings in the Sahara, show that the artists and peoples inhabited a then moist and fertile area exactly where only the eroded sandstones of the Sahara Desert are there to now bear witness. The Tassili art shows an abundance of wild animals, substantial and smaller, from crocodiles to herds of cattle and they also show human activities such as hunting and dancing.

Scenes of dancing are also depicted in carvings from ancient Babylon, typically named the cradle of civilization, and from Greece and from Egypt of Phaoronic occasions.

Just like the urge to paint, and draw, there is also the urge, additional widespread maybe, to dance, to move the physique to a rhythmic beat or tuneful sound. A purely human outward expression of emotions and feelings that can be performed by young or old, male or female, by a solitary particular person or a group, from folk dancing to the choreographed movements of the ballet dancer. And some say they are "born to dance".

Echoes of the ancient previous nevertheless exist in the tribal dances of Africa and Polynesia and the rain dances of indigenous peoples of America. There are dances of the hunt or of battle, or as fertility rituals, and there are dances of celebration and joy of weddings and birthdays and household events.

There are exotic and sensuous dances to excite and lure, the Oriental dances of the Middle East and the dramatic Latin dances of controlled passion, the Tango possibly.

The influence and flavor of every single area of the planet can be observed in its native and regular dances.

No matter if an art kind or entertainment, dancing has evolved by way of lots of types to develop into a famous modern day day pastime, from time to time accompanied by swinging melodic music as in the case of ballroom dancing or at times by a far more energetic music, emphasizing a heavy drum beat, for disco, jazz-dance, rock and roll, hip hop, and break-dancing.

The dances and ancient rhythms of Africa and the Middle East and the additional not too long ago evolved music of Latin America have had a worldwide influence but can maybe finest be observed in the melting pot that is American dance.

And let's not overlook "Dancing with the Stars!"

Jim Robinson, the author of this short article, has lately launched a weblog, summarizing the history, culture, personalities, art and literature, of the Arabic Oriental Dance [http://arabicbellydance.net] and invites your comments.