To the Greeks of the classical period, orchesthai would mean “to dance”, something in the lines of making a series of rhythmical movements. Linear dances were most frequently tied to processions in public festivals, weddings and funerals, while circular dances were associated with rituals, around and altar or sacred object: the circle-dance of the Furies around Orestes intended to bind and dominate him[1]; Corybantes danced around a person to cure the malady, after a trance state, emerged cured. [2]
Both solo and collective dancing involved dramatic and non-dramatic performances, although these generic boundaries seem to be malleable.[3] Although hundreds of dances are known (see How we know) below there is a list with the most popular ones:
See also: Dionysiac dances