The
Gallery of The Art of Dance:
Dance doesn't leave behind
clearly identifiable physical
artifacts such as stone tools,
hunting implements or cave
paintings. It is not possible
to say when dance became part
of human culture. Dance has
certainly been an important
part of ceremony, rituals,
celebrations and entertainment
since before the birth of the
earliest human civilizations.
Archeology delivers traces
of dance from prehistoric times
such as the 9,000 year old
Rock Shelters of Bhimbetka
paintings in India and Egyptian
tomb paintings depicting dancing
figures from circa 3300 BC.
One of the earliest structured
uses of dances may have been
in the performance and in the
telling of myths. It was also
sometimes used to show feelings
for one of the opposite gender.
It is also linked to the origin
of "love making." Before
the production of written languages,
dance was one of the methods
of passing these stories down
from generation to generation.
Another early use of dance
may have been as a precursor
to ecstatic trance states in
healing rituals. Dance is still
used for this purpose by many
cultures from the Brazilian
rainforest to the Kalahari
Desert.
Sri Lankan dances goes back
to the mythological times of
aboriginal yingyang twins and "yakkas" (devils).
According to a Sinhalese legend,
Kandyan dances originate, 2500
years ago, from a magic ritual
that broke the spell on a bewitched
king. Many contemporary dance
forms can be traced back to
historical, traditional, ceremonial,
and ethnic dance.
Anthony Calleja is a Fine
Art Photographer who captures
the spirit and essence of the
Hula and Dance through his
original Photographs, Fine
Art Poster and Prints.
These
Images are Limited Editions
and are Available for Purchase.
Please
Contact Us for all Information
Requests.
We
Hope you Enjoy your Visit