Chapter 6

Cultural Notes: Dancing

Roman dance was somewhat like ballet, but less dependent on musical accompaniment. At first it was a ritual ceremony, and then passed to theater. Tragic dance, as a matter of fact, precedes tragic drama. The cordax which Fortunata dances so well was the dance associated with comedy.

Dance had two elements: movement, which could be taught to anyone; and gesture, which was reserved for professional dancers.

Remember that Encolpius compared the goings-on in Trimalchio's dining-room to a pantomime? A pantomime was a dramatic performance whose subject was taken from Greek mythology. There was a chorus of singers, an orchestra, and an elaborate stage setting. The chief dancer told the whole story by gestures and conventional signs, and portrayed each character in turn.

If any of this (chorus, orchestra, elaborate set) sounds familiar, it's because it is. Opera was invented in the 17th century as an attempt to return to what people of that time imagined classical drama to have been like. "Why should we care what classical drama was like?" may be the question which trembles on your lips. Well, I don't know about us, but they cared because at the time there was a great debate in Europe on whether ancient times were superior to modern (modern to them, of course) or vice versa, and the faction supporting ancient times looked like winning.