IndexOrigins of dance formsInfluence of religion, tradition and socio-political contextSocio-political circumstances influence the prevalence in concert theaterBallet and Indlamu performances are dance forms that they derive from decades of history with one representing a more Eurocentric view while the other is representative of the African Zulu people. These dance forms are respectfully held in high regard in relation to their culture and share common themes such as originating from a royal lineage and having art forms that could be expressed for political use. The emergence and development of these dance forms also exposes the circumstances and environment in which they are expelled, such as the French and Zulu monarchies. This essay will attempt to explore the respective origins in which these dance forms exist and how the skill of the Zulu warriors was demonstrated. The essay will also attempt to investigate the socio-political context of these dances to investigate the evidence or lack of these dance forms in concert theaters in South Africa in the 1920s and 1940s. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Origins of Dance Forms In the 17th century, ballet was first introduced in the Tsar's court (Au and Rutter, 2016). The king and queen often took on the role of leading the dancers who were usually noble amateurs as opposed to the trained professionals we are currently exposed to in modern times. Modern ballet emphasizes feats of strength and agility whereas in its origins the emphasis was on grace, elegance and refinement. The director of the court ballet had to praise the state. The court ballet consisted of politics, art and entertainment, all intentional and carefully planned by the reigning monarchy in the time of Louis XIV (the Sun King). It was during his reign that French court ballet reached its zenith as its very birth had been graced by the Ballet de la Felicité (1639). The Academie de Musique et de la Poesie and the composer Thibault de Courville also exerted a decisive influence on the development of the court theater in that period. Evidence of court ballet exhibiting various themes as powerful as political themes are found in the Ballet de la Delivrance de Renaud (1617). Another dance form that was gaining traction was the Indlamu dance performed by Zulu men in South Africa. The Zulu-speaking nation had risen to the status of a regional power during the early 1800s under the leadership of King Shaka (De La Harpe & Derwent, 2001:34). Shaka's control strengthened a discipline of militant thought that left a strong sense of warrior character and courage among his people. Due to the courageous nature of the Zulu people, this influenced the growth and popularity of the concept of Indlamu dance culture. The origins of the Indlamu dance form came from a military exercise that prepared members for war (Asante, 2000: 68-69). The Indlamu dance served as a symbol of power, dominance and self-control (Brill, 1977:113). Dancing before King Shaka was a system or process where they could call out “cowards” from the ranks of the army, explains a Zulu man named Mtshapi (Firenzi, 2012). This helped maintain the required value in such an art form. Influence of religion, tradition and socio-political context During the 1920s–1940s, Christianity included dance as a complex part of the worship performance, especially under European influence. Aside from religious superiority, ballet has long remained the superlative feature of noble celebrations (Kinney and Kinney, 2013). The glory that is maintained in classical dance was indoctrinated.