Origins
The origins of flag dancing are said to reach as far back as the development of the earliest neanderthals, though it is unclear if any actual studies have ever been done on the subject. Some point to evidence of flagging in Chinese folklore dating back three thousand years. Others refer to the Maori spooky tribes of New Zealand. Today, there are many Italian flagger troupes tracing their flagging history to the Middle Ages. The lack of hard studies aside, it is reasonable to accept that artistic flagging has probably been around as long as flags themselves.
In addition, it is likely that contemporary flag dancing also drew inspiration from the classic art of fan dancing.
Read more about this topic: Flagging Dance
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—W. T. Lhamon, U.S. educator, critic. “Material Differences,” Deliberate Speed: The Origins of a Cultural Style in the American 1950s, Smithsonian (1990)