Definition

1. Noun:
   • A dance performed as part of a religious or solemn ceremony: A "ritual dance" is a formal, often traditional, sequence of movements performed within the context of a religious rite or spiritual practice. Its primary purpose is ceremonial rather than purely for entertainment.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The shaman performed a ritual dance to invoke the spirits of the harvest.
  • Anthropologists documented the tribe's intricate ritual dance, which marked the passage into adulthood.
  • The ritual dance was the central act of the annual purification ceremony.

Advanced Usage

• In anthropological or academic contexts: The term is used to categorize and analyze performative elements within cultural and religious systems.
  • Her thesis examines the function of the ritual dance in maintaining social cohesion.

Variants and Related Words

• Ritual dancing (n): A synonymous noun phrase.
  • The festival featured three days of ritual dancing.
• Ceremonial dance (n): A closely related term, sometimes used interchangeably, though it may have a slightly broader application to formal, non-religious ceremonies.
• Sacred dance (n): A term emphasizing the spiritual or divine aspect of the performance.

Synonyms

• Ceremonial dance: A formal dance performed during a ceremony.
• Religious dance: A dance with explicitly religious significance.
• Sacred dance: A dance dedicated to or connected with the divine.

Related Phrases

• To perform a ritual dance: The standard verb phrase for executing the dance.
  • The initiates learned to perform the ritual dance from their elders.

Noun

1. a dance that is part of a religious ritual