The art of flagging dance sometimes called flag dancing or rag spinning, but more commonly referred to as flagging, is the undulation, spinning and waving of flags in a rhythmic fashion to music. Practitioners of this form of performance art and dance are usually referred to as "flaggers" and "flag dancers", though until the 1990s this mostly referred to those waving flags to aid transportation professions.
The origins of flag dancing are said to reach as far back as the development of the earliest flags, though it is unclear if any actual studies have ever been done on the subject. Some point to evidence of flagging in Chinese folklore dating back three thousand years. Others refer to the Maori indigenous tribes of New Zealand. Today, there are many Italian flagger troupe tracing their flagging history to the Middle Ages. The lack of hard studies aside, it is reasonable to accept that artistic flagging has probably been around as long as flags themselves.
The added weights to the otherwise loose fabric made it possible for the new flaggers to spin and move the fabric through the air in ways similar to fan dancing, but with the added maneuverability of a very flexible material. Flags used by these new flaggers can be of almost any fabric, but silk, organza and lamé are preponderant, with silk being the most favored. Silk flags are usually dyed in vibrant, ultraviolet fluorescent colors, creating an almost hypnotic spectacle when waved rhythmically to music. Note that this type of flagging, while similar, is distinct from the waving of flags on poles or rods as one would encounter in a color guard unit of a high school or in the military.
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