Dancing Skeletons - La Danse Macabre - The Dance of Death
Skeletons have been a symbol of death at least since the Middle Ages when they were portrayed as the Grim Reaper.
Dancing skeletons are featured as participants in La Danse Macabre or the dance of death and as such skeletons have become objects of fear.
During Halloween skeletons are among the fearful monsters. These representations of the undead get paraded out as one of the many different scary ghosts, ghouls and goblins that people like to become for a night.
Yet Skeletons are just bones, bones that allow people to stand upright. They can be used as a fun and just a bit scary way to educate children about skeletons about death and bone anatomy during Halloween.
This lens is a collection of skeletons, skulls and dancing skeletons selected to entertain and educate, not to cause fear. It is a bit historical and a bit educational, but mostly entertaining with a lot of ideas and items for how to incorporate skeletons into your Halloween activities (educational or other).
Note: Most of the video clips should be child friendly. I checked them out on my 5 and 7 year old. Be sure to view the entire video to make sure it is appropriate before sharing a clip with your child.
La Danse Macabre - The Dance of Death
According to the Britannica Concise Encyclopedia the Dance of Death is...
- Medieval allegorical concept of the all-conquering and equalizing power of death, expressed in the drama, poetry, music, and visual arts of western Europe, mainly in the late Middle Ages. It is a literary or pictorial representation of a procession or dance of both living and dead figures, the living arranged in order of their rank, from pope and emperor to child, clerk, and hermit, and the dead leading them to the grave.
The Dance of Death - La Danse Macabre
La Danse Macabre, the dance of death is often featured as a row of dancing skeleton figures leading people from all walks of life as they dance their way to the grave.
Dance of Death Painting
Image: Wikimedia. Bernt Notke's Danse Macabre in Tallinn, Estonia. Public Domain.
La Danse Macabre on Wikipedia
Dance of Death, also variously called Danse Macabre (French), Danza Macabra (Italian and Spanish), Dança da Morte (Portuguese), or Totentanz (German), is a late-medieval allegory on the universality of death: no matter one's station in life, the dance of death unites all. La Danse Macabre consists of the personified death leading a row of dancing figures from all walks of life to the grave, typically with an emperor, king, youngster, and beautiful girl?all skeletal. They were produced to remind people of how fragile their lives and how vain the glories of earthly life were. Its origins are postulated from illustrated sermon texts; the earliest artistic examples are in a cemetery in Paris from 1424.
Death and the Old Man
Death and the Old Man from "The Dance of Death"
by Hans Holbein the Younger
Image Available on Amazon.
Skeletons as the Undead on Wikipedia
A Skeleton is a type of physically manifested undead often found in fantasy, gothic and horror fiction, and mythical art. Most are human skeletons, but they can also be from any creature or race found on Earth or in the fantasy world.
Dancing Skeleton Books on Amazon
Dancing Skeletons: Life and Death in West Africa
Amazon Price: $13.56 (as of 12/11/2009) 
The Dancing Skeletons Tunnel Book / El Gran Baile de Calaveras Libro del Tunel: Take a Peek at Posada's Calaveras! (Take a Peek series) (Spanish Edition)
Amazon Price: $11.66 (as of 12/11/2009)
Skeleton Dance (Gideon Oliver Mysteries)
Amazon Price: $7.99 (as of 12/11/2009)
Making the Skeleton Dance (The Braziller Series of Poetry)
Amazon Price: $22.50 (as of 12/11/2009)
Secrets of the Sassy Old Broads: When Skeletons in the Closet Start to Dance
Amazon Price: $10.16 (as of 12/11/2009)
More about La Danse Macabre
- Fantastic...Danse Macabre
- An article on the Danse Macabre from the Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections at Cornell University Library.
- Fantastic... View Images: Danse Macabre
- View Images of the Danse Macabre from the Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections at Cornell University Library.
- La danse macabre: All Soul's Day
- The Dance of Death emerged in response to feudalism and the Black Death of 1347-50, which killed a quarter of Europe's population. Sufferers of the plague, war, poverty and genocidal famine danced in desperation in graveyards, surrounded by symbols of death.
La Danse Macabre Prints on Amazon
More Dancing Skeletons
Disney's The Skeleton Dance on Wikipedia
The Skeleton Dance is a 1929 Silly Symphonies animated short subject produced and directed by Walt Disney and animated by Ub Iwerks. In the film, four human skeletons dance and make music around a spooky graveyard. It is the first entry in the Silly Symphonies series. In 1994, it was voted #18 of the 50 Greatest Cartoons of all time by members of the animation field.
Silly Symphony - The Skeleton Dance on YouTube
The Skeleton Dance is notable for being the first animated cartoon to use non post-sync sound. In 1994 it was voted #18 of the 50 Greatest Cartoons of all time by members of the animation field.
The Skeleton Dance 1929
Four skeletons, conjured up from their graves by the twelve strokes of midnight, dance and cavort to music. One skeleton beats mallet-like bones on the ribs of another. Yet another skeleton plays a cat like a bass violin, then others shimmy and Charleston. Everyone dances and plays until driven back underground by the cock's crow at sunrise.
The score includes an excerpt from Grieg's "March of the Dwarves" (1893) for the skeleton on the ribcage xylophone.
Source: Russell Merritt. LECTURE: Silly Symphonies. Queensland Art Gallery.
A Lens the Silly Symphony Skeleton Dance
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Disney Silly Symphonies - The Skeleton Dance
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This Silly Symphony cartoon features skeletons dancing around in a graveyard. It's fun yet spooky, and has often been brought back to the Disney Channel around Halloween. Released in 1929, The Skeleton Dance was the first ever Silly Symphony cartoon...
Dem Bones - Dem Dry Bones
It is an African-American Spiritual in the public domain, based on a passage in the Bible from Ezekiel 37:1-14. In this passage, the prophet Ezekiel visits a valley full of bones and brings them to life simply by mentioning the Lord.
The popular tune associated with it was written by James Weldon Johnson with lyrics by his brother J. Rosamund Johnson.
- Dem bones, dem bones gonna walk aroun'
Dem bones, dem bones gonna walk aroun'
Dem bones, dem bones gonna walk aroun'
Oh hear the word of the Lord!
The foot bone connected to the leg-bone,
The leg bone connected to the knee bone,
The knee bone connected to the thigh bone,
The thigh bone connected to the back bone,
The back bone connected to the neck bone
The neck bone connected to the head bone...
Sources: National Institutes of Health, Department of Health & Human Services. Dry Bones (Skeleton Bones).
The Everything Development Company. Dem Bones. Everything2.com
Dem Bones on YouTube
Them not-so-dry bones
Them Not-So-Dry Bones
- Them bones, them bones, them dry bones,
Now they're the working of the Lord.
Bones are heard of, but seldom seen,
'Cept each year 'round Hallowe'en.
But I've got a shockeroo
Right now there's a skeleton locked up inside of you!
Sparkly, Silvery, Shimmery, Spooky Skeletons
Skeleton Jewelry on Amazon
Sterling Silver Gothic Spooky Skull with a Rose in his Teeth Pendant
Amazon Price: $9.99 (as of 12/11/2009)
Moveable Sterling Silver Science SKELETON Bone Earrings
Amazon Price: $29.99 (as of 12/11/2009)
Large Skull Pendant with Moveable Jaws in Sterling Silver, #11447
Amazon Price: $38.00 (as of 12/11/2009)
Sterling Silver Movable Skeleton Necklace
Amazon Price: $35.99 (as of 12/11/2009)
Small Three Dimensional Skull in Sterling Silver on a 20" Rhodium Box Chain, #8291
Amazon Price: $25.00 (as of 12/11/2009)
Skeletons and Dancing
If you can't get rid of the skeleton in your closet,
you'd best teach it to dance.
George Bernard Shaw
Color and Make Your Own Dancing Skeleton & Paper Skulls
A collection of different activities for children with skeletons or a skull to color, several for making your own dancing skeleton and how to make a paper skull banner.
- 'Joe Cool' Skeleton from Halloween Coloring Pages
- A "Cool" looking skeleton to color from the Kaboose.com Halloween Coloring Pages. This design even has enough space to add some scary words.
- Skeleton Dancing Interactive Coloring Page
- An online, interactive Skeleton coloring pages for children to color online. This activity is a way for toddlers, preschool kids, and elementary students to practice their mouse skills.
- Mr. Bones - Skeleton Halloween Craft
- A skeleton craft from Enchanted Learning. Create your own hinged, dancing skeleton.
- Halloween Crafts from the Toy Maker
- The Toy Maker has created a variety of Halloween crafts. Include are papel picado skull banner and a dancing skeleton.
- PDF File for the Dancing Skeleton from the Toy Maker
- A Dancing Skeleton that can be made into a craft from the Toy Maker. This is the skeleton pictured.
- PDF File of a Papel Picado Skull from the Toy Maker
- A Papel Picado Skull banner from the Toy Maker.
- Dancing Skeletons
- This is a how-to for making a set of dancing skeletons for your Halloween window display.
- Sugar Skull - Day of the Dead Activity Sheet
- A Day of the Dead Activity Sheet for children created by the Tohono Chul Park in Arizona featured a Calaveras de Azucar (Sugar Skull) to color and other activities.
- Make Your Own Scary Skeleton
- Print an activity to do with the song, the Scary Skeleton.
- A Fun Skeleton from Ben & Jerry's
- A Halloween Skeleton from Ben & Jerry's. This one is holding ice cream.
Dancing Skeleton - Japanese Style on YouTube
Skeleton Decorations on Amazon
3 Skeleton Computer Toppers See Speak Hear No Evil
Amazon Price: $20.99 (as of 12/11/2009)
Mystic Skull Ceramic Skeleton Mug/Pen Ho...
Amazon Price: (as of 12/11/2009)
Ritz Adult Skeleton Apron
Amazon Price: $19.99 (as of 12/11/2009)
SKELETON ARM INCENSE BURNER, SS-6533
Amazon Price: (as of 12/11/2009)
Leaning Skeleton 20x30 poster
Amazon Price: $20.95 (as of 12/11/2009)
Move Your Dead Bones
Move your dead bones bones bones
Move your dead bones bones bones
The secret will keep you alive
Move your dead bones bones bones
Move your dead bones bones bones
You'll dance for the rest of your life
Dr. Re-Animator
Skeleton Costumes for the Family on Amazon
Skeleton Costume Adult
Amazon Price: $19.99 (as of 12/11/2009)
Kids EVA Scary Skeleton Costume - Child Small
Amazon Price: (as of 12/11/2009)
Toddler Skeleton Bones Halloween Costume
Amazon Price: $39.95 (as of 12/11/2009)
Infant Baby Skeleton Halloween Costume (Sz:12-18M)
Amazon Price: (as of 12/11/2009)
Doggie Bones» Doggie Bones Skeleton Dog Halloween Costume - Small
Amazon Price: (as of 12/11/2009)
Dancing Skeletons on Cafe Press
Time Flies/Having Rum Dark T-Shirt
Price: 22.99
"Dancing Skeleton" Fitted T-Shirt
Price: 20.99
Death dancing Keepsake Box
Price: 23.99
Time Flies/Having Rum White T-Shirt
Price: 18.99
Death Dancing Women's Plus Size Scoop Neck Dark T-
Price: 28.99
A Dancing Skeleton on YouTube
Wearable Skeletons on Amazon
Sexy Black Skeleton Anorexic Costume Pantyhose Tights
Amazon Price: (as of 12/11/2009)
ADULT CLOTH SKELETON GLOVES
Amazon Price: (as of 12/11/2009)
New Women's XL 14-16 Skeleton Costume Hoodie Sweatshirt
Amazon Price: $39.87 (as of 12/11/2009)
Dancing Skeleton Leggings - Adult Std.
Amazon Price: $8.95 (as of 12/11/2009)
Dancing Skeletons Fine Jersey T-Shirt, Army, 2XL
Amazon Price: $27.00 (as of 12/11/2009)
The Corpse Bride Available on Amazon
Tim Burton's Corpse Bride (Widescreen Edition)
Amazon Price: $7.99 (as of 12/11/2009)
The Corpse Bride
Amazon Price: $10.99 (as of 12/11/2009)
Tim Burton's Corpse Bride (Full Screen Edition)
Amazon Price: $7.49 (as of 12/11/2009)
Tim Burton's Corpse Bride: An Invitation to the Wedding (Newmarket Pictorial Moviebook)
Amazon Price: $25.60 (as of 12/11/2009)
The Bone Boys from the Corpse Bride
Die, die, we all pass away
But don't wear a frown 'cause it's really okay
And you might try and hide
And you might try and pray
But we all end up the remains of the day
Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah
Yeah yeah yeah
Bone Boys
The Corpse Bride
Corpse Bride Items Available on eBay
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The Dancing Skeleton of Barcelona
More of the Dancing Skeleton of Barcelona on YouTube
Dancing Skeletons on Amazon
Skeleton Glitter Large Gel Cling 22ct
Amazon Price: $5.99 (as of 12/11/2009)
Metal Dancing Skeleton Pin (B246)
Amazon Price: (as of 12/11/2009)
Sterling Silver Movable Skeleton Necklace
Amazon Price: $35.99 (as of 12/11/2009)
Dancing Top Hat Skeleton Pewter Belt Buckle Skull
Amazon Price: $7.99 (as of 12/11/2009)
Glow-In-The-Dark Skeleton Halloween Apron
Amazon Price: (as of 12/11/2009)
Reprise - Dem Bones
Oh the...
The foot bone's connected to the -- leg bone,
The leg bone's connected to the -- knee bone,
The knee bone's connected to the -- thigh bone,
The thigh bone's connected to the -- back bone,
The back bone's connected to the -- neck bone
The neck bone's connected to the -- head bone.
Skeletons on eBay
Skeleton models and puzzles make great educational resources for teaching young children and adults about bone anatomy.
Fetching new data from eBay now... please stand byDia de los Muertos - Day of the Dead
A Celebration of Those who have Died
Day of the Dead - El dia de los Muertos is a day (or a series of days) for people to celebrate the lives and the memories of those who have crossed the river separating life from death.This festival to celebrate life is considered by many to be the most important holiday of the year in Mexico. Dia de los Muertos is also celebrated in many places in the United States.
October 31, our Halloween, marks the beginning of the fiesta celebrations. Even though the dates coincide with Halloween, Day of the Dead is not related to the All Hallows' Eve celebrated in the States.
Image Source: Kirsti A. Dyer. Calacas con el Corazón.
Day of the Dead Items on Amazon
Day of the Dead Decorative Switchplate Cover
Amazon Price: $4.99 (as of 12/11/2009)
Loungefly Day of the Dead Purse
Amazon Price: (as of 12/11/2009)
DOD - RED SENORITA, SS-7681
Amazon Price: $17.99 (as of 12/11/2009)
Day of the Dead Offering in Museum of Fine Mexican Art, Mexico World Culture Photographic Poster Print by Russell Gordon, 9x12
Amazon Price: $24.99 (as of 12/11/2009)
Dia de los Muertos - Day of the Dead Lens
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Dia de los Muertos - Day of the Dead
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Although occurring around the same time of the year as Halloween, Dia de los Muertos or Day of the Dead, is a very different holiday. Dia de los Muertos is celebrated in many Latin American countries with a different focus. This festival...
Doin' the Bone Dance on YouTube
Doin' the Bone Dance Featured Lens
The Bone Dance lens was developed to look at creative, innovative ways of teaching children about the anatomy bones.-
Doin' the Bone Dance and Other Creative Ways to Learn Bone Anatomy
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Teaching children about bone anatomy can be made a bit easier and a lot more fun for the children by using some songs, dances and available innovative educational tools. The idea for this lens came after watching a recent episode of Hannah Montana the...
Hi! I'm a Dancing Skeleton...
Making Learning Bone Anatomy Fun
For the past two years I have been volunteering my time developing special teaching sessions for both of my daughters' classes around Halloween using skeleton puzzles.There are several point for the activity to help children:
- 1. Develop an interest in anatomy
2. Overcome their fears of Halloween skeletons
3. Learn a bit about anatomy
4. Desensitize the children to skeletons as objects to fear during Halloween.
The Scary Skeleton Premise
We all have a skeleton inside our bodies.
A skeleton is made of bones.
You often see skeletons in scary stories and songs.
But are skeletons scary?
Or are they just like us?
Source: British Council. The Scary Skeleton.
The Scary Skeleton
The premise of the British Council's Scary Skeleton is to educate children about the skeleton and the bones inside our bodies.
- The Scary Skeleton
- A fun, interactive and educational site for children. This site one allows a child to build a puzzle online (good mouse practice), hear a song and offers information about bone anatomy as well as fun.
- Scary Skeleton Activity
- A printable activity that can be used with the Scary Skeleton song.
- Scary Skeleton Cutout
- A printable pattern to cut out and make your own dancing skeleton.
- Scary Skeleton Song Lyrics.
- All of the words to the Scary Skeleton song.
Skeleton Puzzles on Amazon
Skeleton Floor Puzzle
This is the skeleton puzzle that I have used with both daughter's classes.
Amazon Price: $18.99 (as of 12/11/2009)
Hugh the Human Skeleton Kit
This is the new acquisition for this year. I plan to use this with my daughter's second grade class.
Amazon Price: (as of 12/11/2009)
Poly Bones Puzzle Set
Amazon Price: $50.00 (as of 12/11/2009)
Skeleton Upholding the Human Frame
Rigid,
the skeleton of habit alone
upholds the human frame.
Virginia Woolf
Skeleton Games, Puzzles and Cutouts Available on Amazon
Learning Resources Skeletons in the Closet Game
Amazon Price: $23.06 (as of 12/11/2009)
Skeleton Floor Puzzle
Amazon Price: $18.99 (as of 12/11/2009)
Skeleton 53in Jointed Cutout
Amazon Price: $4.99 (as of 12/11/2009)
Scary Skeletons That Make a Skeleton Puzzle Out of Halloween Candy (12 Skeleton Puzzles Each in a Coffin)
Amazon Price: (as of 12/11/2009)
Skeletons Keep Walking
The world dies over and over again,
but the skeleton always gets up and walks.
Henry Miller
More Skeleton Models and Puzzles on eBay!
Skeleton models and puzzles make great educational resources for teaching young children about bone anatomy.
Fetching new data from eBay now... please stand byMore Lenses on Teaching Anatomy to Children
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Anatomy Models
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Human Anatomy is one of the subjects studied by those in the health care fields. Doctors, nurses, therapists and pathologists alike all must learn how the parts of the human body and how they function. The challenge to learn human anatomy is one tha...
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Anatomy Jane
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After watching the Grey's Anatomy episode, "Life During Wartime" with my daughter's they wanted to get their own Anatomy Jane Dolls. I tried to answer the question "Does Anatomy Jane Exist?" I went searching on the Internet to see what I could find...
My SquidBoo Lenses
- Green Your Halloween
- Halloween is another opportunity to 'Go Green' and make eco-friendly, earth-friendly and healthier choices with the types of costume we wear, the types of foods we serve and how we choose to celebrate.
- Healthy Halloween Treats
- It is possible to enjoy Halloween, stay healthy and still survive the start of Candy Season.* To do so it takes a bit of thought, planning and perhaps developing new traditions for how one typical spends Halloween.
- Dia de los Muertos - Day of the Dead
- Although occurring around the same time of the year as Halloween, Dia de los Muertos or Day of the Dead, celebrated in many Latin American countries, is a very different holiday, with a very different focus.
- Spooky Halloween Meal
- Our Halloween tradition for the last five years has been to create a Spooky Halloween Meal for my grade-school-aged daughters. We always hold the Halloween dinner at my parents house.
- Easy Halloween Costumes
- With a bit of imagination and a little time, you can create a variety of easy Halloween costumes. Many of these ideas include using just a few items, items you have at home or items that you can reuse or recycle as a Halloween Costume.
- 13 Ways to Cloak Your True Identity for Halloween
- One easy way to create a simple, fun and effective Halloween costume is to start with with a mask, a cloak, a cape or a robe to hide your true identity. Halloween is a time when children and grown-ups alike get to take on a different identity for a a few hours, a night or a day.
- How to Make a Pink Clover Who Hat or Pink Clover - Easy Halloween Costumes
- It's easy to become a Who or Horton the Elephant for Halloween. All you need is a few pipe cleaners a large pom pom and a little time. With a few twists and turns you'll soon have your own Pink Clover Who Hat or Pink Clover Accessory.
- How to Make Horton Hears a Who Headband Ears - Easy Halloween Costumes
- It's easy to become Horton Hears a Who for Halloween. All you need is a headband, a few pipe cleaners, some blue paper, yarn or a large pom pom and a little time. With a few cuts of paper, some twisting and turning you'll soon have your own Horton Hears a Who Ear Headband.
- The Original Phantom of the Opera
- The Phantom of the Opera, Erik, is the main character in Gaston Leroux's 1909 book by the same title. This musical genius lives beneath the Paris Opera house in the catacombs masking his face because of a physical deformity.
- Take a Trip Underground to Visit The Catacombs....and the Dead
- Far beneath the city streets of Paris lies the bone remains of more than 6 million people, in an elaborate labyrinth of passages, tunnels and corridors. It is a place of mystery, of intrigue, of history and of death.
Reader Feedback on the Dancing Skeletons
Your place for comments, feedback, thoughts and suggestions
What do you think about the dancing skeletons?
Funny? Scary? Educational? Amusing?
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Reply
- PopTopLady PopTopLady Sep 25, 2008 @ 5:34 am
- Love it! Thanks!!!!
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Reply
- GypsyPirate GypsyPirate Oct 25, 2007 @ 9:49 pm
- Great information, I love this lens! Thanks for joining us in The SquidBOO Home!
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Reply
- KimGiancaterino KimGiancaterino Oct 21, 2007 @ 1:23 pm
- I'm so glad you included Herman Munster. That was the first thing that came to mind when I saw the title of your lens! Nicely done.
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Reply
- dougeby dougeby Oct 14, 2007 @ 10:14 am
- Now I know everything about skeletons! Great lens. 5 stars.
Doug
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Reply
- Retro_Loco Retro_Loco Oct 13, 2007 @ 12:20 pm
- Thank you for featuring my Pop Art Skulls design on your lens! I LOVE your lens, it is so cool and very creative. 5 stars! I miss all the anatomy labs I took in college...those were the days. ~Vicki~
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Benefiting First Book
This lens benefits First Book.-
First Book - Book Relief - Every Child Deserves a Bedtime Story
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Can you remember the magic of owning your first book? This is the mission of First Book, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to give children the opportunity to read and own their own first new book. First Book provide an ongoing supply of new b...
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by Comfortdoc
Kirsti A. Dyer MD, MS, FT is the mother of two very inquisitive and energetic young daughters. She is also a specialist in Thanatology (Death Educati...
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- Although occurring around the same time of the year as Halloween, Dia de los Mue...
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Dr. Dyer is honored to have achieved 
