Jareeda May/June 2008

History of Pharonic Dance in Egypt by Amara AI Amir

Part 1   Part 2  Amara in Costume Issue

For many, the scope of Egypt's history is difficult to comprehend. Its history covers some five thousand years, and encompasses the origin of civilization, the rise of the Greek and Romans, the establishment of the Jewish, Christian and Islamic religions, the colo­nial era when first France and then the English ruled the country, and finally, a retum to independence.

That dancing has a very long history in Egypt is clear from pre-dynastic clay figures with hands raised above their heads and in some scenes with women in this posture accompanied by others shaking rattles on pre-dynastic vessels

From the very beginning, there were several words for dance, of which the most common was ibe which might me properly translated as "caper." In writing the word, a game piece was frequently included in

its hieroglyphics suggesting that there might be some resemblance between the movement of the game piece and the dancer. Another common word usu­ally considered to describe an acrobatic dance was hbi. The rwi, which may mean "run away," dance involved performers who frequently bear clappers ending with animal heads. Another dance, the ksks, perhaps meaning "twist," was practiced mostly by non-Egyptians or even animals. After the New King­dom a proliferation of new words appear, which only confuse matters. Though it might seem that each term would apply to a different dance, graphic evidence fails to confirm this view.

known depictions of pair-dancing between a male and female. Within the performance, dancers could execute particular movements solo or in unison with one or more other dancers.

However, all dancers were part of the same cho­reography even though they might execute differ-

ent movements at the same time, just as in modem dance. There appears to have been no clear borderline between dancing and acrobatics or gynmastic perfor­mances.

Unfortunately, body gestures of the ancient Egyptians are not well understood. Undoubtedly, many of the dance movements had specific meaning, but alas, this aspect of Egyptian dance is difficult to ascertain. One must remember that the depictions are but a snapshot of a dance movement

There were also dancers associated with the funerary procession. On the way to the tomb, those carrying funeral equipment and the statues of the dead were followed by dancers.

Tomb scenes depict groups of dancers performing acrobats, looking more like circus performers than dancers. A group of dance performers known as the hnrt are known to be associated with childbirth ceremonies, but might have also been associated with  funerals in helping the deceased enter a new life. Dancing was an accepted part of life, a part of reli­gious ritual even before it became secular.

For the most part, dance groups consisted of either male or female, but not both. There are actually no

Women who danced (and even women who did not)