Ancient Songs and Dances

Primitive Songs and Dances - the Earliest Times

Many ancient cultural relics and documents record that at festivals and on other happy occasions, our ancestors sang and danced to imitate food gathering, hunting, fishing, farming, war and herding. Songs and dances also had the themes of love between men and women, and the worship of heaven, earth, gods and totems. The birth of songs and dances was closely linked with our ancestors' need to express their hopes and fears. The songs and dances created by our ancestors had the following characteristics: (1) Representation of life and the imitation of everyday objects. (2) Combination of songs, dances (actions) and music. (3) Combination of sacrificial ceremonies and entertainment We have reason to believe that the symbolic and imitative actions and artistic songs were the origin of modern operas, as well as of the primitive performing arts.