tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683970826895755480.post5817399867742083137..comments2024-03-29T12:03:37.344+00:00Comments on Bruce Charlton's Notions: Dancing - essential to a well-ordered society?Bruce Charltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09615189090601688535noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683970826895755480.post-69013629006844852092011-03-17T21:42:59.277+00:002011-03-17T21:42:59.277+00:00An interesting view.
Since potential lovers may n...An interesting view. <br />Since potential lovers may not generally wrestle each other, dancing seems a good way to expose each others' bodily coordination and capability. <br />Nature is full of such rituals of movement and rhythm. Even silverfish do it. <br />Nature is generally well-ordered. <br />At least until humans intervene and decree indiscriminate equality.The Crowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04323413604073160469noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683970826895755480.post-7119178202209142532011-03-17T11:55:24.104+00:002011-03-17T11:55:24.104+00:00@Daybreaker. Well said - correction accepted!@Daybreaker. Well said - correction accepted!Bruce Charltonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09615189090601688535noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683970826895755480.post-84153184457991011162011-03-17T10:19:57.909+00:002011-03-17T10:19:57.909+00:00"Dancing - essential to a well-ordered societ..."Dancing - essential to a well-ordered society?"<br /><br />No, only to <i>our</i> formerly relatively well-ordered society. The Western / European tradition of dance is unique. Its breakdown is a part of the destruction of that culture, not of cultures in general.<br /><br />If young people are marrying for love, you need dances. Our literature is full of them.<br /><br />That reflects the uniquely Western focus on companionate, monogamous marriage, to the exclusion of polygamy and officially legitimate harems.<br /><br />If you're arranging the marriages, you don't need to dance. (Or you dance but in other contexts, like the haka.) So dances are less important, and they haven't left the same cultural traces elsewhere.<br /><br />- DaybreakerAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com