Order in ancient Greek dance rituals: The dance of Pan and the Nymphs

Dance maintained an important role in antiquity and was believed to be a ritual act that should be treated and performed with the outmost respect, regardless of its severe or ludicrous character. Despite the lack of adequate data, ancient sources now and again provide enough details on dance rituals, so as to be able to recognize and even more reconstruct the structure and order of an ancient performance, the so-called “τάξις” of Alkman. The cult of Pan and the Nymphs was deeply connected to dance and music. They were mostly celebrated in outdoor shrines and sacred grottos throughout the Greek countryside. Numerous votive offerings depict the circular dance of these vegetation deities, a dance representation where the researcher can recognize specific roles amongst the participants: the dance leader, the principal dancer, the chain of dancers and the musician. Their position in the dance ensemble was ranked accordingly, however, sex, age, appearance, and social status were also determining factors always taken into consideration.