What Is a Religious Dance?

Sanjay Mangal/Moment/Getty Images

A religious dance is a dance that is done in the name of religion or to represent aspects of a religion. Ceremonial dances are often a form of religious dance.

Prior to the 20th century, dance was widely looked down upon and was not incorporated into Christian services, but that has since changed. Many different types of people and cultures express themselves through music or dance, and religious people are no different. Many religions use dances to represent certain beliefs that they may hold. Symbolism plays a big role in religion, and many religions chose to reflect that symbolism through various dance routines and presentations, often during service. Nearly every religion across the globe engages in some type of symbolic dance.