Another characteristic of modern dance, in opposition to ballet, is the deliberate use of gravity. Whereas classical ballet dancers strive to be light and airy on their feet, modern dancers often use their body weight to enhance movement.
The history of dance is the chronological account of dance and dance as art and as a social rite. Since prehistoric times, human beings have had the need to communicate bodily, with movements that express feelings and states of mind. These first rhythmic movements also served to ritualize important events (births, deaths, weddings). In principle, the dance had a ritual component, celebrated in fertility, hunting or war ceremonies, or of various religious nature, where the breathing itself and the heartbeat served to give a first cadence to the dance.
