war dance

ritual dance

Also known as: battle dance, combat dance

Learn about this topic in these articles:

relation to Native American dance
- In Native American dance: Patterns and body movement
  Male war dances may include complex gyrations and flexion of the torso, as do animal dances. Vision and clown dances may induce bodily distortion.
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dance
- In dance: Defining according to function
  …as descendants of the tribal war and hunting dances that have also been integral to many cultures. War dances, often using weapons and fighting movements, were used throughout history as a way of training soldiers and preparing them emotionally and spiritually for battle. Many hunting tribes performed dances in which…
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theatre
- In theatre: General considerations
  …discerned in such rituals as war dances, which are intended to frighten the enemy and instill courage into the hearts of the participants. These dances may imitate the action of battle itself, or at least the way in which the participants hope to see the battle develop.
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