Dance of Death also called Danse Macabre - a medieval allegorical concept of all-conquering and equalizing power of death (everyone will die, everyone is equal) expressed in the drama, poetry, music and visual arts of western Europe, mainly in the late Middle Ages. Danse Macabre consists of the personified Death leading a row of dancing figures, a dance of both living and dead figures. They are arranged in order of their rank, from Pope and emperor to child, clerk and hermit and Death leading them to the grave. The theme revived in literature and music of the 19th -20th centuries.
The dance-with-death was originally a didactic play to remind people of the inevitability of death and to advise them strongly to be prepared all times for death.
The concept plays a pivotal role in “Everyman”, a medieval morality play. The play is allegory of death and fate of the soul. Death symbolizes a messenger of God. God instructs Death to collect the soul of Everyman and bring him to God's final judgment.