Archaic Period
The Archaic Period covers the early Greek, Etruscan, Cretan, Egyptian, and Babylonian cultures. This was a time when we first saw the rise of an aesthetic consciousness aside from what was purely functional. Whereas the tribal cultures that preceded these saw dance as utilitarian, now there was an appreciation of dance as an art form (though perhaps not yet in those words). The visual aspect of dance became more important than the emotional - the audience’s experience more important than the dancer’s. From what we know of the Archaic Period - much of it from paintings on pottery, murals, etc. - the dance of the time was both simple and architectural, even a little formal.
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