Saunders 1 Artifact #2 Research Paper Dance History 460 Cathy Black

Tribal Traditions
Deep in the heart of Kenya, young warriors gather in a giant circle. One by one, these adolescent males enter the center of the circle and begin to jump. As they jump, they keep a very stiff and rigid posture, never letting their heels touch the ground. The other warrior begin to chant and adjust the pitch of their voices as the jumping warrior goes higher and higher. These warriors have just come of age and are participating in a tribal ritual to not only honor themselves, but also their families and heritage. This tribe, known as the Maasai, are one of hundreds, if not thousands of groups that, throughout the history of the world have thoroughly incorporated dance in their society. Tribal dances are often associated with primitive cultures and are thought to be antiquated and a thing of the past, when in reality, Americas current society possess similar characteristics such as symbolism, worship, and communication. Symbolism is defined as the practice of representing things by means of symbols or of attributing symbolic meanings or significance to objects, events, or relationships (Definition of Symbolism 1). This characteristic was significantly prevalent in the early years of tribal cultures and is also existent in todays society. One of the most common forms of prehistoric dance, as well as a primary dance theme of early civilization, were fertility dances. These forms of ritual dances were divided into two categories: human reproduction and plant reproduction. Since the early people were hunters and gathers, their society was centered around the necessities to survive, therefore, their forms of expression emphasized this fact. In nomadic tribes, men would perform dances

Saunders 2 to ensure abundant animals when hunting, to teach and practice helpful hunting skills, and to celebrate the success of a good hunt. In addition, dances were done to increase and secure plant fertility and focused on providing good weather and a sustainable environment for the crops and celebration for providing food. The dances provided the community with a way to recognize the calendrical event, remember when it was time to plant, harvest, and celebrate the return of the sun after an eclipse (Kassing 1). In addition, masks and attire were paramount to the ritual, they held more meaning than just costuming. Animism and Totemism were both rituals that involved elaborate dress. Animism was known as a ritual performed to encounter and appease immanent transcendent spirits (Sticklor 4), while Totemism was a ritual that placates ancestor spirits as well as spirits of particular deities, embodied in animals or sacred objects (Sticklor 4). Both of these ancient forms of dance had the similarity of symbolism. The use of masks were used to invoke the God, demon, ancestor, or animal imitated. Another philosophy of masks was that it protected the wearer from total invasion by the power he was impersonating. People would get so enveloped in their character, and who they were representing, that tribes believed if they were to use the ornamentation of masks, the spirits would not have the power to consume them and take control. Masks were symbolized and shields from unwanted spirits. These philosophies of symbolism are still present today, especially within the beliefs of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Examples of such emblems are the Temple Garment, the Sacrament, various Temple Ordinances performed in the House of the Lord, etc. The Temple is a perfect example of holy symbols. Elder Russell M. Nelson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles explained that , Each temple is a house of learning. There we are taught in the Masters way. His way differs from modes of others. His way is ancient and rich with symbolism. We can learn much by pondering the reality for which each symbol stands (Personal Preparation for Temple

Saunders 3 Blessings 1). Many may wonder, why have symbols been so fundamental to prehistoric times to modern society? Symbols are the universal tongue Symbols bring color and strength to language, while deepening and enriching our understandings. Symbols enable us to give conceptual form to ideas and emotions that may otherwise defy the power of words. They take us beyond words and grant us eloquence in the expression of feelings. Symbolic language conceals certain doctrinal truths from the wicked and thereby protects sacred things from possible ridicule. At the same time, symbols reveal truth to the spiritually alert (Why Symbols? 1). All and all, the principle taught from the tribal cultures of symbolism is still present and increasingly intertwined in the LDS church. Worship and exaltation was an essential component of tribal cultures and rituals. Curt Sachs categorizes dance into two categories: in and out of harmony dancing. Trance dances were known as out of harmony dances, meaning that these dances were based on exhilaration and ecstasy [and that] the movement facilitated the transition into an altered state(Sachs 1). The movements performed were often jerky and involved convulsive type motions. It is also said that the dancers were governed by the music and, when available, drugs. The tribal people were firm believers that trance dance was a way for them to let go of their worldly cares and enter an enlightened or holy state. This can also be connected to Rites of Passages, being rituals associated with the passage from one stage of life to the next. Tribes would celebrate important life changes through various dance movements, such as trance dances. Today, numerous modern-day religions have similar beliefs of Rites of Passages. For example, in the Jewish religion, Bar and Bat Mitzvahs are common when Jewish girls reach age twelve and for boys, age thirteen. According to their beliefs, once a child reaches that particular age, their culture celebrates the childs transition to adulthood (Wikipedia: the free encyclopedia 1). Another example deals with a teenager re-

Saunders 4 ceiving their drivers license. When a young kid turns sixteen, they then experience increased freedom with the ability to travel on their own. A final example of current day Rites of Passages is in the Latter-Day Saint culture. The holy temple, the house of the Lord, can be compared to an oasisa place of renewal and refreshment in a world which has a spiritual droughtThose who enter leave the world behind. It is a structure of beauty and reverence, but most of all, it is a place where the Spirit speaks. Here man comes for understanding, to make promises, to receive blessings from God (Romney 1). This is similar with the ways of trance dance in which people believed Trance Dance's primary focus is on healing and spiritual evolution...through Trance Dance we disappear, becoming more like spirit, and simultaneously less attached to life's ordinary difficulties, making it possible at these moments to let these problems go (Trance Dance 1). Rites of Passage, whether they be Trance Dances or other ceremonial or physical acts, are a time honor tradition spanning thousands of years and are often overlooked for their historical value. Communication has been a key factor in dance society, not only in the prehistoric times, but also in modern society. In fact, dance was one of the earliest forms of language; it has been said that dance is an instrument of expressing what cannot be expressed in any other way (Sorenson 1). As discussed earlier, tribal dance was used to encourage and stimulate human and plant fertility. Dr. Garfinkel taught that dancing was a means of social communication in prestate societies. It was a part of the ritual for coordinating a communitys activities. Hey, its time to plant the wheat or harvest it. So everyone would gather and dance, and the next day they would go to work (Wilford 1). War and victory dances, courtship and marriage rituals, and hunting and animal rituals were all ways tribes communicated one with another through simple movements. These dances brought people together as they celebrated different special occasions. Today we are all witnesses of how dance can be used as a form of communication. When viewing a dance piece,

Saunders 5 the choreographer is attempting to communicate a fundamental message to the audience; whether that be a story, a feeling, or even just pure entertainment. Dance always has a purpose of some kind. Martha Graham, one of the Mothers of Modern Dance, stated that the body says what words cannot (Graham 1). Through these forms of movement and other physical, non-verbal forms of expression, dance has been known as a way of communicating without the use of words still being practiced today. Dance is an unspoken language. CONCLUSION Anya Peterson Royce, a........., states that Dance has been called the oldest or the arts. It is perhaps equally true, it is older than the arts. The human body making patterns in time and space is what makes the dance unique among the arts of perhaps explains its antiquity and universality. Just as the Maasai celebrate the coming of age of their warrior sons, it could be said that there is a coming of age in the understanding and realization of the universal attributes of dance. Jumping higher and higher, modern society can appreciate these traditions and strive for even greater awareness of the elements of symbolism, worship, and communication. And as we achieve more and more, it is as if we can hear the raised pitch of the chants of those who have gone before, voicing their approval.

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Works Cited:
"Definition of symbolism." The Free Dictionary. Princeton University, Farlex Inc., 2008. Web. 6 Dec 2011. <http://www.thefreedictionary.com/symbolism>. Graham, Martha. "Dance Quotes-Martha Graham." Dance Quotes. dance-quotes.net, 2011. Web. 6 Dec 2011. <http://www.dance-quotes.net/martha-graham-quotes.html>. Kassing, Gayle. History of Dance: An Interactive Arts Approach. United States of America: Human Kinetics, 2007. Print. Langer, Susanne K. Feeling and Form, New York: Scribners. 1953. Pandian, Jacob. Culture, Religion, and the Sacred Self, Englewood Cliffs: Prentice, 1991. Personal Preparation for Temple Blessings, Liahona, July 2001, 38; Ensign, May 2001, 33. Romney, Richard M.. "House of Holiness, House of the Lord." LDS.org. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, SEPT. 1987. Web. 6 Dec 2011. <http://lds.org/liahona/1987/09/house-of-holiness-house-of-the-lord? lang=eng&query=temple house lord>. Sachs, Curt. World History of the Dance. New York: W.W. Norton, 1937. Print. Sorenson, Alissa. "Dance in the Northern Tradition." Friggasweb. N.p., 1998. Web. 6 Dec 2011. <http://www.friggasweb.org/dancetxt.html>. Sticklor, Susan. Primitive and Sacre Dance. The VRI Slide Library of Dance History Volume I/Survey. New York: Virtual Resources, "Trance Dance." Trance Dance. Wilbert Alix, 2009. Web. 6 Dec 2011. <http://www.trancedance.com/trancedance.do>. "Tribal and Ethnic Dance: Tribal dance." The Art of Dance. Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc., 1995. Web. 6 Dec 2011. <http://www.uv.es/EBRIT/macro/macro_5001_65_32.html>. 1976.

Saunders 7 "Why Symbols?." LDS.org. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, FEB 2007. Web. 6 Dec 2011. <http://lds.org/ensign/2007/02/why-symbols?lang=eng&query=symbolism>. "Wikipedia: the free encyclopedia." Bar and Bat Mitzvah. Wikipedia Foundation, Inc., 2011. Web. 6 Dec 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bar_Mitzvah>. Wilford, John Noble. "In Dawn of Society, Dance Was Center Stage." Night Work Press. (2005): n. page. Web. 6 Dec. 2011. <http://www.splittree.org/misc_pages/dancehistory.htm>.