devil dance
Fiendish ceremonial movement
Devil dance refers to ritual performances across various cultures where dancers embody demons, spirits, or supernatural forces—often wearing elaborate masks and costumes.
These dances may serve to exorcise evil, appease spirits, or celebrate religious occasions.
Sri Lankan devil dancing and Bhutanese cham dances are well-known examples.
The term sometimes describes any wild, frenzied dancing: The crowd broke into a devil dance around the bonfire.
- demonicOf or like devils
- dark artsMalevolent supernatural practices
- ritualCeremonial set of actions
- maskFace-worn concealment
- tribalOf a clan
tribal ritual · flames · sacred fire · trance · trance state · possession · exorcism · ceremony · ritual drumming · drums · spirits · spirit possession · infernal · demon mask · whirling · frenzy · firelight · incantation
- ritual dancescorroboree, barong, dervish, jingle dress, grand entry
- ritual dramamystery play, mystery plays, passion play, passion plays, morality play
- Sri Lankan mythologydemon masks, guardian deities, exorcism, ancestral spirits, earth goddess
- Asian theaterkabuki, noh, Beijing opera, bunraku, Peking opera
- Sri Lankan musictraditional songs, Buddhist chants, ceremonial drums, devotional songs
devil danceballroom dance
Formal coupled movement style
social dance · waltz · foxtrot · line dance · disco
devil danceballet
Classical dance on pointe
minuet · courtly dance · formal dance · waltz · classical dance
devil, dance, devils, devilish, devilry, deviled, dances, danced, dancer