[Authors and titles are listed at the end of the review]
What could be more challenging, from an archaeological standpoint, than seeking evidence from two inherently ephemeral domains such as dance and dress? As elusive as ancient dance may appear, and as fragile as textiles are in surviving the passage of time, Audrey Gouy successfully navigates this delicate terrain in her edited volume. In doing so, she establishes a foundational contribution to a novel and thought-provoking field of study.
This volume emerges from Gouy’s work on the project “TEXDANCE. Textiles in Etruscan Dance (8th–5th Centuries BC)”. The project forms the conceptual and methodological framework of the book. Gouy draws upon the increasing scholarly interest in textile studies over the past two decades—particularly in Italian and European contexts[1]—while highlighting the relative neglect of clothing in studies of ancient dance. Through a nuanced reflection on the interplay between dance and textiles, she proposes a fresh avenue for advancing research in both areas.
In her introductory remarks, Gouy emphasizes the connection between dance—as a rhythmic, aesthetic, and expressive performance, especially within ritual contexts—and clothing, which she defines as a “key communicative tool” (p. ix). She argues that dress in such settings functioned not merely as ornamentation but as a medium of communication between dancers and spectators, reinforcing the ritual bonds between communities and their deities. By focusing on the performative dimensions of dress, Gouy underscores the embodied experience of dance, which costumes enhanced by engaging multiple senses—for instance, through visual spectacle, color, or auditory effects such as the rattling of metallic adornments. These aspects underpin both the methodological framework and thematic core of the publication, which aims to examine dance attire diachronically and across a broad geographical range. In doing so, Gouy seeks to foster a productive dialogue between dance studies and costume studies, offering new perspectives on ancient practices of movement and dress.
The volume comprises thirteen contributions, primarily focused on the ancient world, spanning from 5000 BC to the 5th century AD and covering regions from Europe to Africa and Asia. The case studies are organized into six thematic sections, each briefly introduced by Gouy in the book’s opening chapter. The following discussion will address each section and its respective contributions in turn.
Part 1 (“Practicalities”) serves as an introductory section exploring the reciprocal influences between dance and dress. It features a single contribution by Elizabeth J. W. Barber, who, acknowledging the fragmentary preservation of both ancient garments and dance traditions, chooses to reflect on their interrelation through the lens of modern and contemporary practices. Barber examines the dynamic between clothing and footwear in Western Europe, identifying four principal areas of mutual influence. Through a curated selection of examples, she aims to “offer a useful scaffold for studying the direct interplay of dance and costume in an all too evanescent past” (p. 4). Although the examples—such as the evocative comparison between the full skirts worn by Croatian and Hungarian women and the “triangular” silhouettes depicted on the renowned Hallstatt vase from Sopron—are more suggestive than conclusive, they nonetheless provide a potentially inspiring framework for future inquiry.
Part 2 (“Movement and Design”) begins with Ulrike Beck’s analysis of the vividly colored woollen skirts from Shampula, Xinjiang (Western China), dated between the 2nd century BC and the 2nd century AD. Beck compellingly demonstrates that these garments were intentionally designed for movement, drawing attention to the interplay between material and motion. Employing reverse engineering and forensic analysis, the article reconstructs the intricate design and manufacturing processes of the skirts, which were adapted to available fabrics and structured to ripple gracefully with each step. The inclusion of illustrative diagrams effectively elucidates the technical aspects discussed. However, the addition of introductory remarks concerning the archaeological context and broader historical-geographical framework would have benefitted readers unfamiliar with Central Asian textile finds.
The second contribution in this section, by Elena Miramontes Seijas, explores heavily veiled female dancer figurines from the Hellenistic period, often linked to baukismós and Ionian dance traditions. Reassessing both textual and visual sources, Miramontes Seijas proposes that garments and veils were deliberately employed to obscure the body in a socially acceptable manner, even as dancers manipulated their drapery to subtly reveal bodily movement. This visual duality—concealment and exhibition—forms the crux of her argument. The author offers a nuanced reading of the well-known “Baker Dancer,” suggesting that the figure encapsulates a complex intent to simultaneously obscure the female form and showcase dance technique.
The final contribution in Part 2, by Evangelia Keramari, examines dance and metatheatre in Menander’s comedy Theophoroumene. Given the fact that nothing is known about how choral interludes were performed in such plays, the inclusion of onstage dance by the actors themselves is striking. Keramari investigates visual representations of the play—primarily mosaics—emphasizing recurring motifs. In these depictions, two young men and a woman perform a ritual dance while playing instruments, momentarily stepping outside their dramatic roles to adopt the personas of Corybantian worshippers. The transformation is marked by improvised costuming, illustrating the use of garments to signify ritual identity within a theatrical context. While Keramari’s analysis convincingly highlights the theatrical potential of costume as a performative device, the limited visual documentation (only one iconographic source is reproduced) represents a notable shortcoming.
Part 3 (“Embodiment and Communication”) opens with Leonidas Papadopoulos’s examination of non-Greek attire in ancient Greek tragedy. He conceptualizes costume as a “network of symbols with multiple socio-political, ideological and aesthetic implications” (p. 39), focusing particularly on the multicultural perceptions of costume among ancient audiences. Through selected plays by Aeschylus and Euripides, he explores how the chorus’s garments functioned semiotically to denote “otherness.” While the essay offers valuable insights into the symbolic dimension of costume, its connection to dance remains only tangentially addressed.
The following chapter, by Alexandra Sofroniew, offers a detailed iconographic and typological study of the costumes of Roman Lares. These figures are typically depicted as dancing, wearing short chitons or tunics, mantles, and open-toed boots. Sofroniew underscores the hybrid nature of their attire, which blends Italic and Hellenistic features, possibly reflecting the Lares’ ritualistic function. The visual and functional parallels between their costumes and that of Artemis further highlight their performative role. Despite some gender ambiguity in their depiction, Sofroniew argues convincingly that the primary function of their clothing was to facilitate dance.
Heidi Köpp-Junk concludes this section with an extensive overview of dance and costume in ancient Egypt. Organized thematically and chronologically, the article compiles a wealth of iconographic and textual evidence. While its depth and specificity may challenge readers less familiar with Egyptian material culture, it undoubtedly constitutes a valuable resource for future research in this area.
Part 4 (“Cognition and Sensory Experience”) features three articles, each exploring how sensory perception and cognitive experience intersect with dance and dress in ancient contexts.
The first contribution, by Karina Grömer and Beate Maria Pomberger, presents the results of an interdisciplinary investigation into dance, clothing, and jewellery in Early Iron Age Central Europe, entitled “Metallic Idiophones between 800 BC and 800 AD in Central Europe”. The authors focus particularly on the integration of sounding artefacts into garments, examining how these elements contributed to the auditory dimension of dance. Drawing on iconographic sources, textiles, and jewellery, the study applies a scientific framework grounded in psychoacoustics—the study of sound perception—to reveal how auditory stimuli shaped ancient sensory experiences. The application of experimental archaeology, particularly in reconstructing movements and choreographies, enriches the analysis significantly. However, a comparative examination of the rich corpus of sonorous jewellery from the Italian Iron Age could have further strengthened the discussion[2].
In the second article, Aikaterini-Iliana Rassia examines the sensory impact of clothing in the context of ritual dances performed during the Mysteries of Eleusis. Engaging with recent research in sensory and cognitive studies, Rassia reflects on how visual and environmental factors—such as moonlight, artificial illumination, and the use of white garments—may have heightened the embodied experience of initiates during nocturnal rituals. Her interpretation emphasizes the role of sensory design in fostering a liminal, transcendent atmosphere within the sacred rites.
The final paper in this section, by Jordan Galczynski and Robyn Price, revisits the subject of ancient Egyptian dance by foregrounding what they call the “sensescape” of performance. Challenging traditional interpretations rooted primarily in visual sources, the authors propose a more holistic understanding of ancient dress, one that encompasses veiled nudity, olfactory elements, sound, and color. These features collectively contributed to the creation of a ritual space wherein dance served as a celebration of life. By integrating material, sensory, and ritual dimensions, the article offers a compelling reevaluation of dance performance in ancient Egypt.
Part 5 (“Images and Metaphors”) begins with a contribution by Angela Bellia, who investigates depictions of dance and musical performances on the garments worn by the votive terracotta plaques of the so-called “Sybaris Goddess” from Francavilla Marittima. Bellia argues that these visual motifs directly reference ritual actions performed by members of the cultic community. The images are interpreted not merely as decorative elements but as symbolic representations intended to evoke the divine presence and multisensory experience associated with worship. These “dancescapes” and “soundscapes” visually inscribed onto garments would have acted as reminders of the ritual choreography performed at the sanctuary of Timpone Motta during divine epiphanies.
Vittoria Rapisarda explores the fascinating relationship between tattoos and clothing in ancient Egypt, focusing on khener dancers associated with the cult of Hathor. Rapisarda highlights a striking correspondence between geometric tattoos found on mummified bodies and lozenge-shaped patterns on both garments and iconographic sources. She convincingly argues that these tattoos functioned as a kind of “clothing for the skin,” simultaneously decorative and performative. Worn on naked bodies, these tattoos became visible and meaningful in motion, effectively replacing traditional garments in ritual contexts. The article stands out for its cross-analysis of iconographic, material, and corporeal evidence.
Part 6, comprising a single paper, is authored by Gerrit Berenike Heiter, who investigates early 20th-century recreations of ancient Egyptian dance by three female performers. Heiter pays close attention to the personal, social, and academic backgrounds of the dancers, reconstructing their artistic journeys within a context shaped by colonialism, racism, and gendered expectations. While the aim of reclaiming their artistic and intellectual contributions is laudable, Heiter’s concluding claim that “the genuine interest and serious study of ancient Egyptian culture allows the qualification of all three dancers as Egyptologists—in a broad definition of this word, breaking with the conception that one needs a university diploma to be able to claim this designation” (p. 198) arguably stretches the term to an unnecessary and problematic extent.
In conclusion, attempting to identify overarching patterns across the volume’s contributions would be reductive, as each chapter presents a distinct case study. Nevertheless, all contributors demonstrate considerable commitment to investigating the intersection of dance and clothing through diverse methodologies. What emerges is a rich, polyphonic account of ancient performance practices, brought into focus through careful attention to their embodied, performative, and sensory dimensions. The volume’s strength lies in its comparative and interdisciplinary approach, which opens new pathways for understanding the ephemeral and expressive domains of dance and dress in antiquity.
Authors and Titles
Introduction, Audrey Gouy
Practicalities
- Practical Perspectives on Dance and Clothing, Elizabeth J. W. Barber
Movement and Design
- Dancing in flames – fabulous designs from the desert sands. Reconstructing the east Central Asien skirts’ construction secret, Ulrike Beck
- The whirling dance of Baukis: reinterpreting our sources, Elena Miramontes Seijas
- Dance and Metatheatre in Menander’s Theophoroumene, Evangelia Keramari
Embodiment and Communication
- The unhellenic attire of choruses as image of the ‘other’ in ancient Greek tragedy, Leonidas Papadopoulos
- The Dress of the dancing Lares, Alexandra Sofroniew
- Dance and Clothing in Ancient Egypt ‒ the Earliest Evidence, Heidi Köpp-Junk
Cognition and Sensory Experience
- Soft cloth and sounding jewellery – sound fields of rich women in Eastern Hallstatt Culture, Karina Grömer and Beate Maria Pomberger
- Flowing White Dresses for Dancing Initiates in the Mysteries of Eleusis, Aikaterini-Iliana Rassia
- Fashioning Sensescapes through Ancient Egyptian Dance, Jordan Galczynski and Robyn Price
Images and Metaphors
- Dancing around the Goddess’ dress, Angela Bellia
- ‘Wearing’ tattoos in Ancient Egypt. Evidence from Middle Kingdom mummies and feminine figurines, Vittoria Rapisarda
Modern Reception
- Egyptologist Dancers – Re-enacting ‘Ancient Egyptian’ Dances at the Beginning of the Twentieth Century, Gerrit Berenike Heiter
Notes
[1] For example, M. Gleba, Textile production in pre-Roman Italy, Oxford 2008; M. Gleba, U. Mannering (eds), Textiles and Textile Production in Europe: From Prehistory to AD 400, Oxford 2012; K. Droß-Krupe, L. Quillien, K. Sarri (eds), Textile Crossroads: Exploring European Clothing, Identity, and Culture across Millennia. Anthology of COST Action “CA 19131—EuroWeb, Lincoln 2024.
[2] A function as idiophones or rattling jewellery has been suggested, for instance, for some bulla pendants from Picenum (e.g. A. Coen and M. Micozzi, Appartenenza etnica e status sociale. Osservazioni sull’ornamento personale nelle tombe infantili tra Piceno meridionale e Abruzzo costiero, in N. Frapiccini and A. Naso (eds.), Archeologia Picena, Proceedings of the International Congress (Ancona 2019), Rome 2022, 443-470; N. Frapiccini, Musica al Museo. Mousikè Téchne nelle collezioni archeologiche delle Marche. Quaderni Musicali Marchigiani 17, 2022, 9-30).