Ancient Egyptian Danced at funerals 

The photographs included in this article represent 
Nelly Mazloum, one of the rare artists who succeeded 
in giving us a precise vision of ancient dances. 

Before it became an entertaining show, dance was a sacred ceremony. Here is a glimpse of what religious dance must have been at the time of the Pharaohs.

Dance played an important part in the social life of the Pharaohs. To judge only by its picturesque presentations on the walls of Beni Hasan and Hieriaconpolis ( Nekhen / Kom El-Ahmar ), one realizes the natural talent of  ancient Egyptians regarding harmony of movement. Paintings and bas-reliefs are, for us, indications of an ancient choreographic art.

Inspired by Nature, dancers could imitate the flexible movement of the frail reed bending under the soft breeze from the North or the leaps and bounds of the nimble sand gazelles, all in order to form the figures of the ballet that would flatter the taste of the Master. But they also knew how to be stunning, hard, almost savage, mimicking the trees, madly shaking their hair under the gusts of the Khamsin.  

The following inscription, which would refer to a ballet, 
was deciphered on a sarcophagus of the twelfth dynasty :

These winds were given to me…  
Here is the wind from the North which envelops the
Aegean Sea  
Which extends its arms to the uttermost ends of Egypt  

Which lies down after having brought pleasure to it’s 
friend each day.  

It is the wind of life this wind from the North.  

It was given to me and it sustains me. 

This particular ballet is performed by five almées, four of which represent the four winds of Egypt . One of the dancers tries to grab the wind of the other dancers, who obstinately refuse to give in and a struggle for supremacy ensues, by using her powers and reducing their strength, she finally prevail.

Dance, like all the arts of ancient Egypt , knew many tribulations. In the pre-dynastic times, Egyptians danced without any distinction as to social class or sex. Dance, as it is nowadays, was the expression of cheerfulness and various other feelings; but it also had a part in religious life and consequently in funerary rites. Several bas-reliefs represent kings or high ranked dignitaries offering to the Gods dances where almées in transparent dresses seemed to thank supreme Powers for their protection.  Supple, lascivious and languorous these dancers raised their arms towards the sky, brought them back to shoulder height and then dropped them gracefully. Later dance became a profession, a show. Dancers both male and female moved, with naked chests, to form real ballets based on precise themes. One danced at all occasions including weddings, births, victories, etc…  

Later still the New Kingdom helped in the refinement of dance and a growing interest for foreign dances especially dances associated with Negroes.  

Today, many dancers, amateurs or professionals, Egyptians or foreign, try to imitate pharaonic dances… but the results are very poor and leave a lot to be desired. Their naive or angular gesticulations do not remind us of the superior grace and elegance of the almées with short hair, who brought so much joy to the lords and the deity of ancient Egypt . 

From the Book: Nelly Mazloum "Oriental Dance Technique"

News cutting from “Ιmages Magazine” Cairo, 1950 

English Translation Emanuel R. Andrew