Sacred dance encompasses all movement that expresses or enhances spiritual experiences. It may be a part of a worship service, a group experience or a private spiritual practice.
Some examples of sacred dance are:
- Native American Ghost Dance
- Classical Indian dance, Bharatanatyam, Odissi, Mohiniattam, and some others.
- The whirling done by Whirling Dervishes.
- The ecstatic dance of the Greek fire-walkers at the Anastenaria.
- Liturgical dance occurs as part of a liturgy or worship service.
- Ritual dance is a type of sacred dance, like Gurdjieff movements.
- (Sacred) Circle dance
Famous quotes containing the words sacred and/or dance:
“For them it’s out-of-date and outmoded to perform miracles; teaching the people is too like hard work, interpreting the holy scriptures is for schoolmen and praying is a waste of time; to shed tears is weak and womanish, to be needy is degrading; to suffer defeat is a disgrace and hardly fitting for one who scarcely permits the greatest of kings to kiss the toes of his sacred feet; and finally, death is an unattractive prospect, and dying on a cross would be an ignominious end.”
—Desiderius Erasmus (c. 1466–1536)
“We dance round in a ring and suppose,
But the Secret sits in the middle and knows.”
—Robert Frost (1874–1963)