Alexis CasagrandaMiss RamahHistory May 11, 2014Dance through historyIf I were to take you back to the Neolithic era, you would see many paintings on cave walls that look like today's dance and some you wouldn't much recognize because they haven't been passed down through time. Many of today's dances were built in the Stone Age and evolved over time to what we have today, and over time many steps have been changed or added to spice up the dances. It is evident that over time, the ever-changing social norm has brought about a change. in popular dance styles. Whether it is Western dance, classical dance, Roman dance, etc., they have all changed over time. Dance and social class also go hand in hand. For example, if you ditch the corset and shorten your skirt, you're not looking classy. Therefore, you didn't dance classy either, you were rather risky. Ancient dances, unlike today's dances, were used for events different from those we use dance for. Representing your background also played a role in the types of dances you performed. Many ancient dances focused on honoring the gods and spirits of the earth. Some focused more on festivals or to give reality to the drama, they used dance to highlight what they represented. Dance is one of the many arts that have stood the test of time and are still used today for the same reasons. Originating in the Renaissance, cave paintings from Spain and France showed researchers that dancing was very common on cave walls (1). From what the cave walls have to show, they show that sympathetic magic was the main encouragement to dance movements in ancient times(1). For example, ancient Egypt used dance... middle of paper ...... Christian tribes used dance for rituals, weapons, to ward off evils, and to nourish good spirits. Many people were opposed to dancing because it was seen as a feeling of lust and ecstasy. While some priests considered the dances pagan and worshiped the Christian faith. Throughout the years of dancing, your social status was based on your dance style and performance. Until the 12th century, dance was used to express religious beliefs. Then the dance evolved to highlight your social class. There were three classes in the 12th century; Nobility, peasantry and clergy. These classes took care of the social dances you performed. Your clothing style and behavior were also affected by your social class. The knights of the time had the couples sing poetry and dance while the peasants were executed by lines of people..