and a
Maenad dancing.
Ancient Greek red-figured
olpe from
Apulia, ca. 320–310 BCE. Pan's right hand fingers are in a snapping position. . •
Antistrophe •
Carpaea •
Choreia (dance) •
Cordax •
Dionysiakos •
Hyporchema •
Korybantes •
Pyrrhichios (dance) •
Syrtos In Ancient Greece, dance was a form of ritual, as well as a pastime. Dance could be included in hunting communities, initiation ceremony rituals of age, marriage, and death, entertainment, dance festivals, and religious activity. It was also viewed as a way to educate children about social norms and morals, and was viewed as being essential for physical and emotional development. Dance was used in regard to war as a form of military training, as well as a ritual that served as a mediator between the gods and humans. What modern times may consider a parade, military drill, funeral, children's game, these were seen as forms of dance as long as they were meant to be an exhibition of a rhythmic performance.
The Suda mentions an ancient Greek dance which was called Dipodia (Διποδία), meaning two-step/two-footer. File:Women in circular dance, terracotta, 6th c BC, AM Corinth, 202907.jpg|6th century B.C. Women dancing in a circle. File:Red-figure phiale woman dancing with crotoa (Boston MFA 97.371), sharpened.jpg|5th century B.C. Woman dancing with
crotala File:At the British Museum 2024 362.jpg|450 B.C. Woman dancing with crotala File:Greek Red-figure Ceramic Calyx Crater Girl in dance class; Berlin Dancers painter, 440-430 BC (28454178810).jpg|440–430 B.C. Girl in dance class. File:British Museum Room 20a Phiale Painter Girls dancing 19022019 6748.jpg|430 B.C. Girls dancing, with an instructress and a youth. File:Attic black-figure vase with man playing aulos and several dancing men photo by bensutherland flickr cca2.0 3383425843 4854e66a87 o.jpg|Men dancing File:Black figure skyphos, AM of Thebes, 201200.jpg|500–490 B.C. Female reedpipe-player (
auletria) and female dancer File:Komos Painted Nose Louvre E841.jpg|550–540 B.C. Men dancing. File:Exotic dancer, calyx krater, by the Nikias Painter, Attic Greek, c. 400 BC, red-figure terracotta - Sackler Museum - Harvard University - DSC01780.jpg|400 B.C. Exotic dance. ==Modern and regional dances==