Dance Imagery in Dancing at Lughnasa from the Perspective of Anthropological Ritual

Abstract

Dance serves as the central trope in Brian Friel’s celebrated play Dancing at Lughnasa. This study analyzes the cultural and social functions of dance through the framework of anthropological ritual. Three distinct forms of dance within the play exhibit ritualistic characteristics: the five sisters’ tap dance in the kitchen represents a temporary transcendence of daily constraints and a release of carnivalesque; the waltz shared by Michael’s parents functions as a ceremonial affirmation of matrimonial bonds; and Father Jack’s African dance signifies his acceptance, appreciation, and assimilation into indigenous cultural practices. These ritualistic dances serve psychological, emotional, and communal healing roles, encapsulating Friel’s appeal for acknowledging cross-ethnic commonalities and advancing multicultural integration within contemporary Irish society.