There are some things in life that have been so deeply ingrained into society as a whole — so deep in fact that we often fail to realize there was a time without it! In this guide to mankind’s many inventions, we look into a particular creation that we just can’t live without. After all, can you imagine a life where people didn’t know how to dance? That’s right, dancing is a human invention, which means there was a time when the concept of dancing wasn’t quite there yet.
It’s weird, isn’t it? To think about dancing as something other than an integral part of life. After all, dancing comes as naturally as singing — which is also a human invention that had to have been created at one point. Interested in figuring out the origins of dancing as a concept? Let’s look into the history of dancing and figure out who invented the concept, as well as a timeline!
Who invented dancing?
Dancing has always been with us, and it’s likely that early humans danced long before being able to effectively speak. That said, the earliest records indicate dances over 9,000 years ago, in ancient India. In essence, the ancient Indians would have the distinction.
Dancing’s key contributors (and evolution)
- The early humansDancing as a part of our being
It’s very likely that dancing has been a part of human culture long before the invention of proper communication. Ritual dances are thought to be an essential key to building early human civilizations.
- Ancient IndiaProof of ritual dancing
There’s proof of ritual dancing based on cave paintings in India, known to be at least 9,000 years old. That’s a mind boggling number, though when it comes to dancing, the ritual aspect was likely much earlier than that. The cave paintings were simply the earliest bits of proof people could collect.
- Ancient EgyptRitual dancing and banquet dancing
Egypt was a rather enlightened civilization for its time, and they were fond of dancing. There were often dances during banquets, as well as ritual dancing.
- Ancient Greeks, Romans, and ChineseAn evolution of dance
Many of the dances of the time before recorded history evolved by the time of the Greeks, Romans, and the Chinese. These ancient civilizations danced for a variety of reasons, and the dances varied wildly depending on the location.
- The European RenaissanceThe explosion of song and dance
With the dawn of the European Renaissance, the wonders of song and dance spread far and wide. While civilizations in every part of the globe knew how to dance, it wasn’t until the Renaissance when the different cultures spread and mingled.
When was dancing invented?
Funny enough, we can’t really put an origin point to the start of dance, especially ritual dancing. We can only talk about the earliest proof, which is about 9,000 years ago.
A brief history of dancing
To talk about dancing, in many ways, is to talk about communication between human beings, as it’s very likely dancing existed long before human beings could efficiently communicate. It certainly existed long before the invention of written communication! You’ll find that many animals use a form of dance to try to communicate, especially when it comes to mating. The early humans likely used dancing as a way to communicate (and yes, for mating too).
ASs far as the earliest bits of proof goes, some cave paintings were found in India that showcased a ritual dance. It’s a 9,000-year-old painting, which can be a pretty intimidating number. It means that the ancient humans from 9,000 years ago already knew how to dance, though we already know that since it’s likely dance is as old as mankind as a species.
In any case, the ancient Egyptians were known to use banquet and ritual dances, and many other ancient civilizations followed suit. From the Greeks to the Romans and the Chinese, there were many different ways to dance depending on the culture. Eventually, when the European Renaissance came knocking, dances from different cultures spread all over the world. It was a time of enlightenment for dance, as people learned dances from cultures all over the world. The rest is history!
The dancing timeline
- 8000 BCAncient cave paintings portraying ritual dance
While dance has existed long before, the earliest bits of proof we can find comes from ancient cave paintings in India. It’s dated to be over 9,000 years old!
- 4500 BCThe ancient Egyptian dances
Egypt was a rather enlightened civilization for its time, and they were fond of dancing. There were often dances during banquets, as well as ritual dancing.
- 1600-460 BCThe ancient Chinese, Greek, and Roman dances
Many of the dances of the time before recorded history evolved by the time of the Greeks, Romans, and the Chinese. These ancient civilizations danced for a variety of reasons, and the dances varied wildly depending on the location. Song and dance continued to evolve.
- 1300 ADThe introduction of various cultures’ dances all around the world
With the dawn of the European Renaissance, the wonders of song and dance spread far and wide. While civilizations in every part of the globe knew how to dance, it wasn’t until the Renaissance when the different cultures spread and mingled.
Where was dancing invented?
As far as the earliest we can record, dancing was technically invented in India.
Why everyone loves dancing
- A tale as old as man
No, it’s not a tale as old as time — it might come as a surprise, but dancing came before the concept of time for human beings. Instead, dance is a tale as old as man.
- The ancient method of communication and celebration
Whenever people are happy, they often have the urge to sing and dance. In some ways, happiness itself was only possible to be expressed through dance back in the earliest years. It’s an ancient method of communication and celebration, and most people can’t help but dance when they’re happy even today!
- An evergreen trend
An evergreen trend is something with a very long shelf life. These trends can include things such as weight loss, since it always seems to be relevant. In the case of dancing, it will always be a part of society!
- A surprising variety of dances
For many people, dancing connects them to their childhood and culture, and that comes as no surprise due to the surprising variety of dances all over the world. It feels like every place in the globe has a unique dance specific to their home!
Dancing by the numbers
- 2Did you know that dancing is considered a healthy thing to do for just about any age? Let’s start with the earliest possible age where people learn how to dance at 2 years old. It’s a really early age, but a surprising number of little ones dance happily at that age!
- 102Now that we’ve talked about the earliest age where it’s safe and lovely to dance, let’s talk about the oldest recommended age. Over a century later, it’s still recommended to dance! Sure, it’ll be a lot slower, but who cares?
- 400About 400 years ago, the African slaves brought over from Brazil were forbidden from learning any form of martial art. Such is the reason why they learned how to fight through dance, a form which grew into capoeira.
- 2000Did you know that the amount of money required to create a single tutu shoe is over $2,000? Those shoes need plenty of durability to handle the stresses of ballet.
Five facts about dancing
- Dancing is good for your health!
You’ve probably already heard or read about it from somewhere, but dancing is undoubtedly good for your health. It not only improves posture and weight, but it lowers the risk of heart disease.
- Extreme physical demand
Professional dancing is extremely rough on the body. It’s the reason why many professional dancers tend to retire from the scene once they hit their thirties. At that point it’s not much different from boxers, who hit their prime in their early 20s!
- The Hindu dance connection
You ever wonder why Bollywood absolutely loves to add song and dance to their film? It’s mainly due to the connection of Hinduism and dance. They have plenty of ritual dances, and most Hindu practitioners love to dance.
- Entertainment and religion
You’ll find that when it comes to dancing, there are two primary reasons for cultural dances. They’re either doing it as part of their religion, or they’re doing it for entertainment. Entertainment and religion are the mountains of dance.
- The god of dance
Did you know that there’s a cosmic deity of dance? Nataraja is known as the god of the dance, who is one of the forms of Shiva. In this case, he takes the form of a cosmic dancer!
FAQ about dancing
- Why is dancing so strangely addicting?
Something about dancing just makes sense to everyone. The moment someone starts dancing, it makes other people want to bust a move. It’s one of the primal forms of communication, after all. There’s just something wonderful about dancing to the beat with everyone else!
- Is being a professional dancer a good idea?
It’s never a bad idea to dance! That said, being a professional dancer is not the easiest thing in the world. There are so many chances for injury, and it’s a high-stress environment. If you’re going to try it, understand that there are plenty of risks.
- Just how many dances are there?
There are countless dances, and I’m not even kidding. The exact number of dances in the world is unknown, as pretty much any dance-like movement can count. Dancing isn’t quantifiable, which is a testament to its evergreen popularity.
- Do you think dancing will ever go out of style?
There are some dances that go out of style, but the concept of dancing itself will never go away. It’s just a fact of life, as dancing has been with us since before humanity learned to speak. Dancing is a part of the human psyche — it’s in our blood!