Transcriber’s Notes
Cover created by Transcriber from content in the original book, andplaced in the Public Domain.
The List of Illustrations was added by Transcriber and placed into thePublic Domain.
THE ART OF MUSIC
The Art of Music
A Comprehensive Library of Information
for Music Lovers and Musicians
Editor-in-Chief
DANIEL GREGORY MASON
Columbia University
Associate Editors
EDWARD B. HILL LELAND HALL
Harvard University Past Professor, Univ. of Wisconsin
Managing Editor
CÉSAR SAERCHINGER
Modern Music Society of New York
In Fourteen Volumes
Profusely Illustrated
NEW YORK
THE NATIONAL SOCIETY OF MUSIC
Odalisque in ‘Scheherazade’ (Russian Ballet)
Design by Léon Bakst
THE ART OF MUSIC: VOLUME TEN
The Dance
Department Editor:
IVAN NARODNY
Introduction by
ANNA PAVLOWA
Ballerina, Imperial Russian Ballet
NEW YORK
THE NATIONAL SOCIETY OF MUSIC
Copyright, 1916, by
THE NATIONAL SOCIETY OF MUSIC, Inc.
[All Rights Reserved]
vii
THE DANCE
INTRODUCTION
‘The gods themselves danced, as the stars dance inthe sky,’ is a saying of the ancient Mexicans. ‘Todance is to take part in the cosmic control of theworld,’ said the ancient Greek philosophers. ‘Whatdo you dance?’ asks the African Bantu of a member ofanother tribe after his greeting. Livingston said thatwhen an African wild man danced, that was his religion.It is said that the savages do not preach theirreligion but dance it. According to the Bible, theancient Hebrews danced before their Ark of the Covenant.St. Basil describes the angels dancing in Heaven.According to Dante, dancing is the real occupation ofthe inmates of Heaven, Christ acting as the leader of acelestial ballet. ‘Dancing,’ said Lucian, ‘is as old aslove.’ Dance had a sacred and mystic meaning to theearly Christians upon w