TRANCE DANSE AND WITCHCRAFT

Aug.1st-10 - Trance results from a modified state of the conscience. Since millenia, man knows this hypnotic state which allows him to reach to other levels of reality in a partial or total loss of the conscious reality. One speaks about shamanic, mediumic and mystical trances. The state of trance can be induced by proven techniques of concentration or artificial means (drugs). The state of trance is not without danger and in theory, some yogis or doctors (if hypnosis) must accompany people who are in a state of real trance. There are also dances which can cause these particular states such the Samâ’ (Turkey) where the dancer turns slowly then very quickly until reaching a form of trance.

But here is that recently, one has to speak of trance through a serious crowd accident in Duisburg in Germany where 18 people were killed in a mass panic at the Love Parade.

The aim of the meeting was the "tecnno dance", a meeting where thousands of participants dance together on a rhythmic electronic dance in the open air. For fans, this type of dance can produce a state of trance which allows to reach mind freedom.

Sociologists of all Europe commented this dramatic event as well for the fatal accidents generated by the crowd as for the aim itself of the meeting. They characterized this event as a new mass phenomenon for spontaneous meetings, specially of young people in search for freedom, taboos transgression and feeling of force, gathering themselves in tribes in opposition to societies more and more regulated lauding individualized and codified values. There are "rave parties", parades, giant aperitives …

For those ones who report this type of meetings as a new phenomenon, they have forgotten that trance dances have been existing since a long time with the same aim of freedom and transgression. I name the sabbahs but also a peculiar event which has become till now a reference in the usual language: the St. Vitu’s dance.

Around 1300, in Germany and Alsace, a strange epidemic broke out which was called in the St. Vitu’s dance: the dancers, instead of stopping of dancing, went on with more and more fury, in an unrestrained manner till they fell unconscious to the ground, racked by violent pains to the belly. But always they got up, wrapped their belly with bands and went on dancing again. Men and women held themselves by the hands, shaked by this frenzy dance till exhaustion.

This exhibition were contagious and the assistance also felt irresistibly attracted. Villagers gave up their home and united themvelves in frantic crowds. Processions of dancers left the cities dancing according the music of the fifes and went towards other cities dancing night and day. This dancing mania was assimilated to a disease which was named "chorea of Sydenham". The authorities of that time did not find any rational explanation .

Even if some participants had really nervous problems and were epileptic, the major part of the people were in good health but declared themselves sick in order to avoid to be pointed out as possessed by the devil and finish burned alive on the stake by the Holy Office.

They were the first collective trance dances of the history.