Revealing The Hidden Ancient History of Ecstatic Dance

Ecstatic dance history runs very deep and the core might never be found. However, we have many relics and records from the past, such as Greek myths, which serve as intriguing clues.

As broad themes demonstrate, ecstatic dance was an ancient custom present in every society across the world. The custom of ecstatic dance was a practice that throughout history helped people of many cultures bond as a community and connect with spiritual feelings.

Today, people still practice ecstatic dance, often held in yoga studios or tea houses, as well as private residences. In today’s ecstatic dance, being sober as well as language-free and phone-free, helps the participants transmute difficult emotions and experience connectedness.

Here we will look mainly at the myths and Hellenic texts suggesting history of ecstatic dance. We will delve into the Greek myths of Dionysus, in which the richest lore I could find was present. Then, we turn our kaleidoscopic lens onto the present resurgence of this truly divine practice.

Ecstatic dance history

40,000 year old cave paintings depict ecstatic dance practices. In the Mahadeo hills of ancient India, these cave walls are painted with dancing figures. In the depictions, the dancer’s arms appear to flail back, and you can almost see their sway in the still paintings. [1]

“One of the world’s richest sources of information about the performing arts in prehistoric times is the painted decoration on the walls of caves in central India. Stick figures wearing elaborate, spikey headdresses sway to music, while others dance choreographed steps. Harpists with erect phalli play for dancers, some of whom are engaging in homosexual acts. Boys and girls jump about in ecstatic dance, then sit on beds entwined in each other’s arms. Rock art showing dance and musicianship is abundant in [these areas of ancient India].”

Bodies In Motion, Erwin Numayer [2]

Sacred and religious undertones are always intimated connected with these occurrences. But in the 1920’s anthropologists renewed a bit of interest in historical origins of dance, as dance stylistically was evolving in that present. Paul Nettl stated that the ecstatic dances of old were “expressive of some psychic exaltation, some intensified emotion, of some frenzied paroxysm into which the primitive individual falls while communing with his deity,” [3] a paroxysm being a sudden jolting surge of emotion or activity.

We see the transcendentalism of primitive ecstatic dance, almost an over-pouring of emotion as a natural consequence of communion. The modern ecstatic dance gatherings definitely echo these themes. The Greek myth of Dionysus will to an extent shed some light on this connection between the emotional and religious component in the history of ecstatic dance.

Greek Myth

In Greek, “ecstacy,” ἔ𝜅σ𝜏ɑσiς, ekstatis, ek, out, histemi, “I stand”. I stand out, and often like a sore thumb these funky dances can stand out. Everyone is encouraged to dance as though no one’s watching though. In Greek literature the word ekstasis word represents the removal of one’s mind from its normal place or function. [4] Would this be similar to insanity?

In Greek mythology, the story of ecstatic dance begins typically with the Maenads (female religious dance practitioners) and the Korybantes (male counterparts, sometimes spelled Corybantes). There are notes scattered across various sources denoting lineages connecting these rites and groups to the Old Testament and the prophets of Baal, and one who is interested in following that more archaic line of the history of ecstatic dance can start with the work of theologian Oesterly. [5]

Here, we will look at the myth of Dionysus, since it is said the Maenads and Korybantes danced in honor of this Greek God in particular.

Dionysus

Dionysus used a chariot with lions and hunted. He grew up in the cave of Chiron, the wounded healer. Nonnos of Panopolis, an epic poem by Dionysiaka, accounts of Dionysus growing up in a Phyrigian forest “for his own protection,” because madness struck whoever cared for him. So it was a great matter to find someone who could care for Dionysus as a boy. His nurse Mystis would secretly teach the Bacchic ways to him, such as fermentation. Rhea Kybele eventually took care of Dionysus. Antecedents to this myth include the Theban myth of Kadmos, and also the conquest of India quest of the Theban ancestors. [6]

The general story is that Dionysus invents wine, and is cured of his madness through his initiations. He goes through Argos, defeating pirates, and gradually gained respect and worship through many lands. He also destroys family relationships (Argines kill their young.) Dionysus also goes to India specifically to erect columns of respect, not conquest by military. A lot of the lore is simply interpreted from Skolia, ancient Greek traditional drinking songs. Referencing Dionysus’s departure from Phyrigia, and cure of madness through initiations (Hera is the one that drove him mad), he was healed by Rhea, but continues to inflict his madness on others incidentally.

Dionysus’s Madness and cure

There were said to have been 2 cults, Kybele, which cures madness, and Dionysus, which inflicts lethal madness with no cure. Throughout these tales, divine revenge and many aspects backed in Plato permeate as themes. There tells an evolutionary story of ecstatic dance with youth: chaotic and uncontrolled; maturity; reasonable and controlled.

The dance mimics the early stages of human development in its dynamicism. In Wasps by Aristophanes, the rites of the Korybantes are said to be curative of madness. As recounted by Plato in Phaedras, the Dionsyniac rites inflict initiatory madness. Plato also speaks of purifications and initiations associated with nymphs, pans, silens, satyrs. He speaks of a “telestic mania,” in which telestic is meaning relating to the interpretation of esoteric mysteries, as defined.

The rites clear the effects of “menima”, the wrath of the dead. The rites blur
the bridge of life and death, invoking archetypes of the “axis mundi” bridge.

Damascus said that Orpheus said to perform Orgia at these rites, to release from lawless ancestors. The Pelinna tablet states Dionysus is the source of [greek symbols, p.5] leading to a better fate for the deceased. Dionysus frees humans from the hands of bodily existence. Whereas some interpret Dionysus as the God who delivers from daily cares and chores through the gift of temporary madness. And Horace calls it “dulce periculum” – sweet danger.

Initiation Rites

The submission of one’s self to the dance was a rite necessary but not sufficient for initiation into the mysteries (i.e. of Dionysus, Eleusius, and others.) There is an overlap with the concept of madness, but the negative connotation that dominates this term today is more nuanced in this context.

Aretaeus of Cappodocia, in his 10,000 types of madness from "Reasons for Chronic Illness," says there are "those to whom madness is joy, they laugh, play, dance day and night, even publicly on the agora […] and their relatives relieve no damage from this type of madness."

— AbnormalWays (@AbnormalWaysWeb) June 9, 2023

“The Thyris bearers are many, but the initiates few” … Plato recounts of the Dionysian mysteries. The Thyris, a pole wrapped with vines resembling snakes, was also a necessary but not sufficient condition for initiation. The hopeful initiate was that which was called a Mystic (same root word as myst-eries). And these Mystics would arrive to the festivals in intention of communing with the divine, through feast and dance, gaining knowledge that does not come through the ears and eyes, but through the spirit that animates their bodies.

The animating spirit is what one must submit one’s own ego to. In the modern dance, for example, many newcomers are first uncomfortable, wondering if they look a bit odd. In part, overcoming this to truly dance in a group of people, with no rehearsal and no preconceived step, unlock’s a part of one’s own confidence by giving it up to unseen forces. This also demonstrates a trust in the divinity present in one’s own body.

Modern Manifestations

The revival of ecstatic dance common narrative revolves on Gabi Roth who instituted the 5Rhythms style of dance. But even before this, Grete Wiesenthal transformed the Vienese Waltz. Other special interest groups that intersect with ecstatic dance include tantr, contact improv, Gabi Roth, Hawaii TX, OR, East coast

“The only way out is through. being entranced by the ego prevents us from feeling pain; in fact, it prevents us from feeling anything—ecstasy, grief, compassion, anger, shame, love—from feeling alive.”

Gabi Roth, Maps to Ecstacy

The 5Rhythms technique with Roth formulated to help contextualize the process of ecstasy through dance involves five sequential “steps”: flowing, staccato, chaos, lyrical and stillness. Many modern ecstatic dances use these 5 steps as. a template to build their playlists and vibes.

• 1. Flowing: this is simply tuning into one’s one body. Often participants start on the floor or in a standing position, and being making small movements or stretches to see what may feel right.
• 2. Staccato: the flowing movements become more well-defined, and one can play with a bit of power and precision.
• 3. Chaos: this is when one lets go entirely and do as the body wishes, flailing, maybe swaying or jumping, but depending on what the person needs at the time, this could also be on the floor, or appear quite calm.
• 4. Lyrical: one exhausts the faculties of chaos and finds some structure within. This seems more like acting out the rhythms of the music, combining the ethereal and mysterious movements with the sounds and perceptions in the physical environment.
• 5. Stillness: this is where the story ends, and the movements dwindle like the flame of a candle gradually extinguishing on its last drop of wax.

Understanding Modern Ecstatic dance

People in today’s ecstatic dance communities are tasked with attempting to explain exactly what it is they are doing when they gather, and why. Elephantjournal states “deep healing, erasing the trauma that had closed my emotions.”

Rave parallels the practice of ecstatic dance, though a key difference is ecstatic dance today is sober by necessity. In rave culture, ravers set themselves free to the music, and this freedom is also expressed in their outfits and dress. Bright colors, many diverse textures, and themed outfits representatives of one’s own personal vibe for the night are often seen. Ravers, during or post-rave, are seen as very giddy and enthusiastic, or serenely calm. This is because, whether one has taken drugs or not, the experience leaves them with a positive mental state, even if some points throughout the rave were difficult to get through, it is a bit like. a therapy.

New Ecstatic Dance Tradition and Customs

These ceremonies typically have a fixed format which each community adapts to its own tribe. All ages typically attend, though its best to experience the vibe of each ecstatic dance community to understand what feels right. There are some strict rules that are usually always followed though.

Beginning: meditations, gentle stretches, breathing, the MC sharing a few thoughts

Middle: course/dynamics, cheers, calls, cries, yelps, and laughs may be experienced, but words are patently disallowed.

Ending: the closing of the circle appears similar to the beginning, but the vibes have been transformed.

Styles of Movement in Ecstatic Dance

“Some lay on the floor, writhing” – Elephant journal. Dancers are encouraged to feel safe, take up space, make use of all your body and all your emotions.

Things I have seen and experienced in ecstatic dance:

• curled up in a fetal position on the floor
• Two or more people using their own bodies as dance floor, falling and flying over each other
• Movements that seem like convulsions of medical concern, but aren’t
• One’s feet tapping the floor so quickly and delicately they seem to be catching substantial time in the air entirely
• sitting or standing against the wall, not moving at all
• crying, or uncontrollable laughter (releasing of emotion)
• Odd catatonic positions that seem impossible otherwise

I myself experienced these odd and impossible-seeming movements. For example, during the beginning of dance when starting on the floor, feeling so comfortable and at peace, doing some stretches that feel good, and achieving shapes that I had never seen, nor seemingly would have been able to achieve otherwise. The twisting of the legs or arms many times around each other, or the stretching of limbs backwards and around one’s own body, sometimes using the floor, wall, or another dancer as pressure or leverage.

Therapeutic Benefits of Ecstatic Dance

Somatic psychology strives for the pragmatic understanding that the body reflects the mind and the mind the body. Those familiar with yin yoga may have experienced this. For example, in the “pigeon” posture, it is very common for people to begin crying as tension releases from the hips. During yin postures, essentially stretches of 2-5 minutes, the yoga practitioners “release” on the exhale, and breathe consciously. During this release, one relaxes the muscles, but finds that the tension in the hips, is actually found in a clenching of the jaw, face, muscles, or other parts of the body that don’t seem immediately connected to the area being stretched in the posture.

Example of Guiding Yourself Through to an Ecstatic Dance

A Dionysian ecstatic dance would surely include some offerings, and such as pouring wine on your face, some fruit or honey, incense or candles. But to receive therapeutic or mood benefits, none of this is required, I can atest. Importantly you want to feel comfortable in your space, maybe this is alone, but somewhere with plenty of space to move about. If you are inside in a room, this can also be comfortable, as you can use the walls and furniture to your benefit.

Find music that makes you want to stand up or dance when you hear it, or that makes you instinctually bop your head. Then you can follow that route to a full body movement. You may want to arrange songs in a continuous playlist format ahead of time, so the music will keep going and you won’t have to leave your flow to adjust the music.

In your mind, you turn yourself over to the movements of the body, and you achieve a meditation in the headspace. If you are an overthinker, this alone gives you relief from the tendency to ruminate or overanalyze life circumstances.

Then you just follow that feeling and see where it takes you. Try not to have any expectations or planned movements ahead of time. Empty your mind so the rhythms of your body can fill the space.

In Conclusion of the Connection of Modern and Historical Ecstatic Dance

Many will first hear about ecstatic dance as a modern occurrence, but it is helpful to know its origins. Dance in this manner is even older than the myths described here, likely going back a lot farther than recorded history allows us to know. For this reason, we can infer how important it is on the innate level of human nature.

I encourage everyone to find a humility and curiousity that allows them to try this truly therapuetic and primal practice, because the benfits to the well-being I find cannot be understated.

There is also a lot more on this topic I found than was able to fit here. Here are the future blog posts that I will link here as they are completed over the next few months covering this catagory of Ecstatic Dance:

• Cases of historical Dancing Mania
• Singing’s resonance in the body
• Dionysus full anthology
• Eleusinian Mystery School
• Wisdom of the Skollia
• Ancient Shamanic Rites in the Americas
• Tarantella, the dancing mania that cured madness from a spider bite

Sources:

[1] Monteiro, N. M.& Wall, D. J.(2011). African Dance as Healing Modality Throughout the Diaspora: The Use of Ritual and Movement to Work Through Trauma. The Journal of Pan African Studies, 4 (6 ) 234-252.

[2] Neumayer, Erwin. “Bodies in motion.” Archaeology 50.1 (1997): 56-59.

[3] Nettl, Paul. “Notes on the History of the Dance.” The Musical Quarterly 15.4 (1929): 583-589.

[4] Versnal, H. S. Ecstasy. p. 505.

[5] Oesterley, William Oscar Emil (2010) [1923]. The Sacred Dance: A Study in Comparative Folklore. Kessinger. pp. 107–139. ISBN 978-1163177228.

[6] Kerényi, Karl. 1976. Dionysus. Trans. Ralph Manheim, Princeton University Press.