Lewis & Short

salto (once salĭto, Varr. L. L. 5, § 85 Müll., Salii a salitando), āvi, ātum, 1, v. freq. n. and a. [2. salio], to dance (in the widest signif. of the word, including pantomime and gesticulation; mostly with a contemptuous accessory signif.).

  1. I. Neutr.: vidi in his unum puerum bullatum, non minorem annis duodecim, cum crotalis saltare, quam saltationem impudicus servulus honeste saltare non posset, Scipio Afric. ap. Macr. S. 2, 10 (v. the whole chapter on this subject); cf. Cic. Pis. 10, 22; id. Deiot. 9, 26; id. Mur. 6, 13; id. Off. 3, 24, 93: in foro (as an indecorum), id. ib. 3, 19, 75: quin scire velim saltare puellam, Ov. A. A. 3, 349: fac saltet, id. R. Am. 334: Sa. Salta, saltabo ego simul. Ste. Siquidem mihi saltandum est, tum vos date, bibat, tibicini, Plaut. Stich. 5, 5, 14; 5, 5, 16; cf.: ad tibicinis modos (ludiones), Liv. 7, 2: tu inter eas restim ductans saltabis, Ter. Ad. 4, 7, 34: negarem posse eum (sc. oratorem) satisfacere in gestu, nisi palaestram, nisi saltare didicisset, Cic. de Or. 3, 22, 83: si vox est, canta; si mollia bracchia, salta, Ov. A. A. 1, 595; Vulg. 2 Reg. 6, 14; id. Matt. 14, 6.
    Prov.: cecinimus vobis, et non saltastis, Vulg. Matt. 11, 17; cf. Luc. 7, 32.
    Impers. pass.: cantatur ac saltatur per omnes gentes, Quint. 2, 17, 10.
    1. * B. Trop., of an orator, to speak in a jerking manner, i. e. in little clauses: Hegesias dum imitari Lysiam vult, saltat incidens particulas, Cic. Or. 67, 226.
  2. II. Act., to dance, i. e. to represent by dancing and gesticulation, to perform in pantomime a play or a part (not ante-Aug.): pantomimus Mnester tragoediam saltavit, quam olim Neoptolemus tragoedus egerat, Suet. Calig. 57; so, pyrrhicham, id. Caes. 39: aliquam mimo saltante puellam, Ov. A. A. 1, 501: Cyclopa, Hor. S. 1, 5, 63: Glaucum, Vell. 2, 83, 2: Turnum Vergilii, Suet. Ner. 54: odaria, to accompany with dancing, Petr. 53, 11: laudes alicujus, Plin. Pan. 54, 1.
    Pass.: ficti saltantur amantes, Ov. R. Am. 755: saltata poëmata, recited with an accompaniment of dancing, id. Tr. 2, 519; cf. id. ib. 5, 7, 25: plerique jactant cantari saltarique commentarios suos, Tac. Or. 26: saltatur Venus, saltatur et Magna Mater, Arn. 4, n. 35.