The Dancing Goddesses: Folklore, Archaeology, and the Origins of European Dance
*Starred Review* In her latest, joyfully comprehensive work of scholarly discovery and original analysis, archaeologist, linguist, and prehistoric textiles expert Barber, inspired by her passion for folk dancing, unearths the roots and significance of dance in the diverse cultures of Europe and Russia. Originally dance “was not an ‘art form’ but the essence of life itself,” a perception borne out by Barber’s many-pronged diggings into folklore, religion, agriculture, seasonal rituals, traditional medicine, ornament, and clothing. She begins with folktales about magical dancing female spirits, “bringers of fertility,” and village maidens dancing to summon spring. Of courtship dances, Barber wryly observes that “certain dances evolved to test whether the bride was physically strong and agile enough” to do the hard work women performed in the fields and at home. Taking cues from images of dancers in handicrafts and art and spanning ancient Greece and Rome and the meshing of pagan traditions and Christianity, Barber describes “dance cures” and dances for the ancestors and revels in such intriguing customs as the Slavic “magical sleeve dance.” She even draws on cognitive science to investigate how dancing affects the brain, bringing people into accord and strengthening communities. Years in the making, Barber’s far-roaming, gracefully interpretive, and sprightly study of European dance will be the go-to resource for many years to come. --Donna Seaman