05-25-2015, 12:08 AM
"No sober man will dance," said Cicero, "unless he is insane." Generally this seems to have held throughout Roman history: dancing was no respectable activity, and to accuse a man of being a 'dancer' was to imply shameful practices - Cicero (again) imagines the followers of Catalina dancing naked after boozy parties.
Some women seem to have danced, in a solo performance way, but could not be seen to do it too well - Sempronia is accused by Sallust of being too good a dancer. 'Pantomime' dancers (in the theatres) were highly trained, but usually slaves or freedmen.
Religious dancing was different - the Salii priests and others performed ritual dances, and Elagabalus is accused of performing 'sacred dances' around the altars of his cult religion. But I think we can safely say that nothing like social dancing existed in polite Roman circles!
Some women seem to have danced, in a solo performance way, but could not be seen to do it too well - Sempronia is accused by Sallust of being too good a dancer. 'Pantomime' dancers (in the theatres) were highly trained, but usually slaves or freedmen.
Religious dancing was different - the Salii priests and others performed ritual dances, and Elagabalus is accused of performing 'sacred dances' around the altars of his cult religion. But I think we can safely say that nothing like social dancing existed in polite Roman circles!
Nathan Ross
