Duvet
Member
When did dancing with snakes start? I've found information on the Hopi snake dance, but when did snake dancing get associated with bellydance/Eastern dancing?
Articles that I've read by modern snake dancers claim it dates back to ancient India, but is this just wishtory? None give specifics, only vague talk about snake worship (which exists, but doesn't mean it involves dance). References are also made to the Cretan goddess figurines (but is there evidence that these depict a dance?), and to the Dionysian maenads (but these seem to be handling snakes as part of their frenzy, and are equally shown grasping cats, deer and other wild animals).
I can find references to dancing with snakes as a formal stage performance in 1908/1911 Europe and America, and already fantasized as Egyptian/Oriental (Odette Valery's & Princess Rajah's 'Egyptian Dance' or 'Cleopatra Dance' - are they the same woman?), and earlier images of women posing with snakes in the 19th Century as fairground attractions, sometimes dressed in 'Middle Eastern' outfits, and billed as snake charmers (but no reference to dancing). Did snake dancing develope out of the fairground/theatrical tradition, or does it have an older history?
I'm sure this topic has already been discussed on the forum somewhere, so wondered if someone knew any sources for information.
I started thinking about this when I saw this picture of the San Quentin Prison Little Olympics of 1930 (an interesting topic on its own). Four male inmates dressed as female dancers - one with a rubber snake and a string of sausages! Presumably played for humour, but I wondered where he got his costume idea from and how much the headdress resembled the Maud Allen/Salome type costume (another photo shows a side view; csrcl_045 :: San Quentin Prison - Little Olympics Field Meet ? Dr. Leo Stanley Collection, 19).
Articles that I've read by modern snake dancers claim it dates back to ancient India, but is this just wishtory? None give specifics, only vague talk about snake worship (which exists, but doesn't mean it involves dance). References are also made to the Cretan goddess figurines (but is there evidence that these depict a dance?), and to the Dionysian maenads (but these seem to be handling snakes as part of their frenzy, and are equally shown grasping cats, deer and other wild animals).
I can find references to dancing with snakes as a formal stage performance in 1908/1911 Europe and America, and already fantasized as Egyptian/Oriental (Odette Valery's & Princess Rajah's 'Egyptian Dance' or 'Cleopatra Dance' - are they the same woman?), and earlier images of women posing with snakes in the 19th Century as fairground attractions, sometimes dressed in 'Middle Eastern' outfits, and billed as snake charmers (but no reference to dancing). Did snake dancing develope out of the fairground/theatrical tradition, or does it have an older history?
I'm sure this topic has already been discussed on the forum somewhere, so wondered if someone knew any sources for information.
I started thinking about this when I saw this picture of the San Quentin Prison Little Olympics of 1930 (an interesting topic on its own). Four male inmates dressed as female dancers - one with a rubber snake and a string of sausages! Presumably played for humour, but I wondered where he got his costume idea from and how much the headdress resembled the Maud Allen/Salome type costume (another photo shows a side view; csrcl_045 :: San Quentin Prison - Little Olympics Field Meet ? Dr. Leo Stanley Collection, 19).
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