Early Church Fathers on Entertainment and Dancing

The Early Church Fathers on various topics: This was a 3700 hour project which included going through 22896 pages of the 38 volume set called Ante Nicene, Nicene, Post Nicene Fathers. I compiled 255 pages of quotes showing that the Early Church was always and completely Catholic. All of these quotes can be verified and found from the source which is free online.

Entertainment
Dancing

Justin Martyr discourse to the greeks ch 4 (100-165 ad)
For there are excessive banquetings, and subtle flutes which provoke to lustful movements, and useless and luxurious anointings, and crowning with garlands. With such a mass of evils do you banish shame; and ye fill your minds with them, and are carried away by intemperance, and indulge as a common practice in wicked and insane fornication.
Tertullian On the Shows ch 17 (160-240 ad)
Are we not, in like manner, enjoined to put away from us all immodesty? On this ground, again, we are excluded from the theatre, which is immodesty's own peculiar abode, where nothing is in repute but what elsewhere is disreputable. So the best path to the highest favour of its god is the vileness which the Atellan gesticulates, which the buffoon in woman's clothes exhibits, destroying all natural modesty, so that they blush more readily at home than at the play, which finally is done from his childhood on the person of the pantomime, that he may become an actor.
Tertullian On the Shows ch 18 (160-240 ad)
But if you argue that the racecourse is mentioned in Scripture, I grant it at once. But you will not refuse to admit that the things which are done there are not for you to look upon: the blows, and kicks, and cuffs, and all the recklessness of hand, and everything like that disfiguration of the human countenance, which is nothing less than the disfiguration of God's own image. [+] You will never give your approval to those foolish racing and throwing feats, and yet more foolish leapings; you will never find pleasure in injurious or useless exhibitions of strength; certainly you will not regard with approval those efforts after an artificial body which aim at surpassing the Creator's work; and you will have the very opposite of complacency in the athletes Greece, in the inactivity of peace, feeds up. And the wrestler's art is a devil's thing. The devil wrestled with, and crushed to death, the first human beings. Its very attitude has power in it of the serpent kind, firm to hold--tortures to clasp--slippery to glide away. You have no need of crowns; why do you strive to get pleasures from crowns?
Aphrahat Demonstrations 5 Of Wars par 19 (280-367 ad)
And (it is necessary) that a man should separate himself from the observance of hours and Sabbaths and moons and seasons, and divinations and sorceries and Chaldaean arts and magic, from fornication and from festive music, from vain doctrines, which are instruments of the Evil One, from the blandishment of honeyed words, from blasphemy and from adultery.
Lactantius Divine Institutes book 5 (290-350 ad)
For what must be said of those who, induced by the vanity of popular favour, expend on the exhibition of shows wealth that would be sufficient even for great cities? Must we not say that they are senseless and mad who bestow upon the people that which is both lost to themselves, and which none of those on whom it is bestowed receives? Therefore, as all pleasure is short and perishable, and especially that of the eyes and ears, men either forget and are ungrateful for the expenses incurred by another, or they are even offended if the caprice of the people is not satisfied: so that most foolish men,have even acquired evil for themselves by evil; or if they have thus succeeded in pleasing, they gain nothing more than empty favour and the talk of a few days. Thus every day the estates of most trifling men are expended on superfluous matters.
Lactantius Divine Institutes book 5 (290-350 ad)
The ransoming of captives is a great and noble exercise of justice, of which the same Tullius also approved. "And this liberality," he says, "is serviceable even to the state, that captives should be ransomed from slavery, and that those of slender resources should be provided for. And I greatly prefer this practice of liberality to lavish expenditure on shows. This is the part of great and eminent men." Therefore it is the appropriate work of the just to support the poor and to ransom captives, since among the unjust if any do these things they are called great and eminent.
Commodianus Writings Ch 57 (300-360 ad)
Thou art going to vain shows with the crowd of the evil one, where Satan is at work in the circus with din.
Augustine Sermon 38 par 17 (354-430 ad)
A good Christian has no wish to attend the public shows. In this very thing, that he bridles his desire of going to the theatre, he cries out after Christ, cries out to be healed. Others run together thither, but perhaps they are heathens or Jews? Ah! indeed, if Christians went not to the theatres, there would be so few people there, that they would go away for very shame. So then Christians run thither also, bearing the Holy Name only to their condemnation.
Apostolic Constitutions book 2 par 62 (400 ad)
Avoid also indecent spectacles: I mean the theatres and the pomps of the heathens; their enchantments, observations of omens, soothsayings, purgations, divinations, observations of birds; their necromancies and invocations….. You are also to avoid their public meetings, and those sports which are celebrated in them….. Abstain, therefore, from all idolatrous pomp and state, all their public meetings, banquets, duels, and all shows belonging to demons.
Council of Carthage canon 61 (419 ad)
FURTHERMORE, it must be sought that theatrical spectacles and the exhibition of other plays be removed from the Lord's day and the other most sacred days of the Christian religion, especially because on the octave day of the holy, Easter [i.e., Low Sunday] the people assemble rather at the circus than at church, and they should be transferred to some other day when they happen to fall upon a day of devotion, nor shall any Christian be compelled to witness these spectacles, especially because in the performance of things contrary to the precepts of God there should be no persecution made by anyone, but (as is right) a man should exercise the free will given him by God. Especially also should be considered the peril of the cooperators who, contrary to the precepts of God, are forced by great fear to attend the shews.
Constantinople/Trullo/Quinisext canon 51 (692 ad)
This holy and ecumenical synod altogether forbids those who are called "players," and their "spectacles," as well as the exhibition of hunts, and the theatrical dances. If any one despises the present canon, and gives himself to any of the things which are forbidden, if he be a cleric he shall be deposed, but if a layman let him be cut off.

Dancing
Lactantius Epitome of Divine Institutes (290-350 ad)
What of the stage? Is it more holy -- on which comedy converses on the subject of debaucheries and amours, tragedy of incest and parricide? The immodest gestures also of players, with which they imitate disreputable women, teach the lusts, which they express by dancing. For the pantomime is a school of corruption, in which things which are shameful are acted by a figurative representation, that the things which are true may be done without shame.
Ambrose of Milan On Repentance ch 6.42 (340-397)
And so one must be on one's guard, lest, deceived by any common interpretation of this saying, one should suppose that the movements of wanton dances and the madness of the stage were commended; for these are full of evil in youthful age.
Ambrose of Milan Concerning Virgins book 3 ch 5.25 (340-397)
There ought then to be the joy of the mind, conscious of right, not excited by unrestrained feasts, or nuptial concerts, for in such modesty is not safe, and temptation may be suspected where excessive dancing accompanies festivities. I desire that the virgins of God should be far from this. For as a certain teacher of this world has said: "No one dances when sober unless he is mad." Now if, according to the wisdom of this world, either drunkenness or madness is the cause of dancing, what a warning is given to us amongst the instances mentioned in the Divine Scriptures, where John, the forerunner of Christ, being beheaded at the wish of a dancer, is an instance that the allurements of dancing did more harm than the madness of sacrilegious anger.
Ambrose of Milan Concerning Virgins book 3 ch 6.27 (340-397)
Is anything so conducive to lust as with unseemly movements thus to expose in nakedness those parts of the body which either nature has hidden or custom has veiled, to sport with the looks, to turn the neck, to loosen the hair? Fitly was the next step an offence against God. For what modesty can there be where there is dancing and noise and clapping of hands?
Ambrose of Milan Concerning Virgins book 3 ch 6.28 (340-397)
"Then," it is said, "the king being pleased, said unto the damsel, that she should ask of the king whatsoever she would. Then he swore that if she asked he would give her even the half of his kingdom." See how worldly men themselves judge of their worldly power, so as to give even kingdoms for dancing.
Ambrose of Milan Concerning Virgins book 3 ch 6.31 (340-397)
What say you, holy women? Do you see what you ought to teach, and what also to unteach your daughters? She dances, but she is the daughter of an adulteress. But she who is modest, she who is chaste, let her teach her daughter religion, not dancing. And do you, grave and prudent men, learn to avoid the banquets of hateful men. If such are the banquets, what will be the judgment of the impious?
John Chrysostom Homily 20 on Ephesians (347-407 ad)
Thirdly again, in addition to this, which is the crown of all these benefits, by these very points he will be showing his own judgment, that indeed he has no pleasure in any of these things, and that he will moreover put an end to everything else in keeping with them, and will never so much as allow the existence either of dances, or of immodest songs.
John Chrysostom Homily 48 on Matthew’s Gospel ch 4 (347-407 ad)
For where dancing is, there is the evil one. For neither did God give us feet for this end, but that we may walk orderly: not that we may behave ourselves unseemly, not that we may jump like camels (for even they too are disagreeable when dancing, much more women),
Augustine Exposition on Psalm 92 par 2 (354-430 ad)
Our rest is from evil works, theirs from good; for it is better to plough than to dance.
Augustine Exposition on Psalm 70 par 3 (354-430 ad)
This then the Martyrs desire for their enemies, "Let them be confounded and fear." For so long as they are not confounded and fear, they must needs defend their actions: glorious they think themselves, because they hold, because they bind, because they scourge, because they kill, because they dance, because they insult, and because of all these doings they be some time confounded and fear. For if they be confounded, they will also be converted: because converted they cannot be, unless they shall have been confounded and shall have feared.
Council of Laodicea Canon 53 (390 ad)
Christians, when they attend weddings, must not join in wanton dances, but modestly dine or breakfast, as is becoming to Christians.
Council of Laodicea Canon 55 (390 ad)
Neither members of the priesthood nor of the clergy, nor yet laymen, may club together for drinking entertainments.
Council of Carthage canon 15 (419 ad)
And [it seemed good] that the sons of bishops should not take part in nor witness secular spectacles. For this has always been forbidden to all Christians, so let them abstain from them, that they may not go where cursing and blasphemy are to be found

Sermons of St John Vianney on Dancing https://www.catholicbible101.com/Vianney1.pdf

Alas! How many young people are there who since they have been going to dances do not

frequent the Sacraments, or do so only to profane them! How many poor souls there are who

have lost therein their religion and their faith! How many will never open their eyes to their

unhappy state except when they are falling into Hell!

"Here is a girl who dances," says St. Ambrose, "but she is the daughter of an adulteress because

a Christian woman would teach her daughter modesty, a proper sense of shame, and not

dancing! "

Listen to St. Augustine and you will see if dancing is a good action. He tells us that "dancing is

the ruin of souls, a reversal of all decency, a shameful spectacle, a public profession of crime."

St. Ephraim calls it "the ruin of good morals and the nourishment of vice." St. John

Chrysostom: "A school of public unchastity." Tertullian: "The temple of Venus, the consistory

of shamelessness, and the citadel of all the depravities."

The Council of Aix-la-Chapelle forbids dancing, even at weddings. And St. Charles Borromeo,

the Archbishop of Milan, says that three years of penance were given to someone who had

danced and that if he went back to it, he was threatened with excommunication. If there were no

harm in it, then were the Holy Fathers and the Church mistaken? But who tells you that there is

no harm in it? It can only be a libertine, or a flighty and worldly girl, who are trying to smother

their remorse of conscience as best they can

St. Augustine tells us that those who go to dances truly renounce Jesus Christ in order to give

themselves to the Devil.

But we can believe that the Devil also roams around on earth to light an impure fire in the

hearts of Christians and that w hat he promotes with the greatest frenzy are balls and dances.

Homily be religious or be damned

St. Ephraim .tells us

that dancing is the perdition of girls and women, the blinding of men, the grief of angels, and

the joy of the devils.

Dear God, can anyone really have their eyes bewitched to such Ian extent that they will still

want to believe that there is no harm in it, while all the time it is the rope by which the Devil 
pulls the most souls into Hell?

St. Augustine has good reason to say that men would be better to work their land and girls to 

carry on with their spinning than to go dancing; the evil would be less.