The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1822-12-17

, aiic science. lam no friend to the eere-
monious gesticulation and The grimace,
which are too often mistaken for the bene-
| iieiai consequence ofihis part Of education,
for To practice such, is To lay aside the man
for the bahoon aud detest the most dis
tant approach TO dandyism. But surely d
graceful carriage, an elegant and manly de-
pertinent are advantages not incompatible
with our republican simplicity and which
deserve the cultivation and the attainment
Of al --lf this be so, aud II they can be ac-
quirrd only,as we suppose, from previous
acquaintance with dancing, the ldter de-
serves attention, ii for their sake only.
Could any thing derive importance from
IFS antiquity alone, dancing might stand IN
the first rank for this claim. The accounts
Of it run as high As any thing we find upon
authentic record. Lucian and Athenmus
have written treatises ON H. which descend
ed 10 modern times, and Plato and Keno
ph0n have made honorable mention Of II.
From his respect 0f II, Us a religious eere-
mony Of his country, the wise aud plous So
crates condescended 10 learn II, ut an adj
yanred period of life, and from all we can
discover, il was held in high esteem during
the most enlightened period Of Ancient
Greece. Dancing we may naturally sup
pose 10 have known no existence previous
10 that of music, but 10 have been a neces-
sary effect of the invention of the latter
This we infer by arguing from effect to
cause and from its having been observed
that the untutored savage upon the first
sound Of musical instrument, springs into
an attitude of dancing, aud keeps time in n
variety OF anlc Gestures, 10 the rapidty or
slowness Of the music, with great pnnctua-
lity--As dancing was the natural effect Of
music, il contDues no doubt 10 accompany
that act on all occasions j; and hence we
may account for IFS introduction, among
The pagans, into not only their festivals and
thelr public rcloIcings upon national Oeca-
sions, bot their religious ceremonies-That
II constituted part of these rites, history
furnishes abundant proof, aud from being
used in the religious ceremonies of the
Pagans, il would naturally be retained, like
many other of their customs, IN the chris
tan church during its inf ancy-For II
would have been impolitic, If not imposs
Bile, IN the first promoters of christianity, To
have stripped the reignng idolatry of all lis
ceremonies at once. BY only changing the
object of adoraten, and by leaving the peo-
pie III possession of their superstllous Gus
TOMS they were more easily drawn over 10
a new system Of filth, and were weaned by
degrees from the absurd rights Of their an
elent worship. BE this, however, as il
may, il is certain that the primitive land it
will moi be thought irreversnt TO add1 and
purer ages Of the church, the disciples Of
our Saviour did not disdain TO copy this
custom from the Pagan but actually
SET apart space in the church, and be.
fore the altar for the dancers, and hence
denominated The choir.
lfdancing then be not valuable as an ac-
complishmeni and from lis acknowledged
importance of imparting grace and ease 30
human action, it Is yet entitled to respect
for its antiquity, and from lis having been
employedby lleathens and by Christians 10
give effect TO their religious obseryances.