Mayan_Dance_Overview

Dance in Pre-Columbian Maya culture still exists in various altered forms today. However, dancing in the ancient world carried a much deeper significance in their sophisticated culture. Records of these dances have come to light through various murals, codices, and especially the Spanish who first recorded their observations.Spirits of the super-natural world and their relationship with Maya culture played an important role in ritual dance. Just as well, animals and beasts usually were the mimicked in ceremonial dance. The attire worn to some dances as depicted in various murals show the links Maya dancers make to the natural world and to their worshipped gods who often took the form of animals. This is evident especially in the frescoes of Bonampak.