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Keeping Together in Time: Dance and Drill in Human History
Abstract
McNeil pursues the possibility that coordinated rhythmic movement—and the shared feelings it evokes—has been a powerful force in holding human groups together. As he has done for historical phenomena as diverse as warfare, plague, and the pursuit of power, he brings a dazzling breadth and depth of knowledge to his study.
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“To inculcate such discipline, an art of soldiering was required, one that instilled a sense of esprit de corps in the soldiers and turned them into a synchronized unit that could 'keep together in time.'”
From Big Heads and Buddhist Demons: The Korean Musketry Revolution and the Northern Expeditions of 1654 and 1658 (2014) · cites this paper as McNeill 1997.
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Metadata
- Authors
- McNeill, W. H.
- Corresponding author
- McNeill, William H.
- Venue
- Harvard University Press eBooks
- Publisher
- Harvard University Press
- Published
- 1997-12-31
- OpenAlex
- W4207055484
- Cited by
- 214
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 7 · 2024: 37 · 2023: 8 · 2022: 28 · 2021: 10 · 2020: 8 · 2019: 19 · 2018: 30 · 2017: 5 · 2016: 34 · 2015: 3 · 2014: 6 · 2013: 2
- FWCI
- 0.00
- Type
- book
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Harvard University Press eBooks (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Visual Arts and Performing Arts › Arts and Performance Studies
- Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Visual Arts and Performing Arts › Diversity and Impact of Dance
- Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › History › History of Emotions Research
- Keywords
- rhythmic movement, coordinated motion, social cohesion, group solidarity, emotional sharing, war, plague, power
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