Religion and Dance

Author: Liu Jian
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-05-01
Features: The future of dance will inevitably become a higher form of religion, expressing the spiritual aspiration to transcend all worldly things. — Isadora Duncan. The book is divided into three parts in the chronological order of primitive religion, later religions, and modern religion. The first part narrates the original relationship between religion and dance, analyzing four types of dance that resonate with the four ways of primitive religion: natural worship, totem worship, mythological belief, and witchcraft activities. The second part introduces the influence of later religions on dance and the religious consciousness revealed by dance, categorized as Christian dance, Islamic dance, Buddhist dance, and Taoist dance. The first three are the world's three major religions, while the latter two are China's two major indigenous religions. They are listed alongside the first three in this book due to its focus on Chinese dance. The third part discusses the relationship between modern religion and modern dance. As both are currently in an exploratory state, its length is shorter than the first and second parts. Additionally, the introduction briefly outlines the basic definitions and concepts of religion and explains some characteristics of dance within this perspective. Chapter 5 is a transitional chapter, connecting the first part with the second part. Chapter 12, on the other hand, makes an aesthetic judgment on dance from the perspective of religion as a coordinate and thread, ultimately reducing it back to the artistic realm of dance.