Wentai

Origins of Chinese Traditional Dance

INTRODUCTION

1

Court Dance and Folk Dance 2

Feature of Chinese Traditional Dance 3

Lion Dance 4

5Conclusion

Page

HISTORY OF CHINESE TRADITIONAL DANCE

In primitive society of China, people were afraid of nature's power, they revere wind, lightning and believe there were deities control everything. So people use dance to express their respect to gods and divine their destiny. As excavation shown, the earliest dance appear 5,000 years ago. Primitive dance is kept and still performed in remote place of China such as Horn dance and masquerade.

In Han dynasty (206 B.C--A.D 220), King firstly unify langurage, clothing and made the primary rule of Chinese court dance.

Page 4

COURT DANCE

Chinese court dance blends Kongfu, drama and acrobatics. It emphosized to show the flexibility of body, so the movements are elegant and softer. Because the performer of court dance are usually more than one, so performer should pose their movements accrately. Court dance were usually describe the life of immortal so it loaded the King's hope that they wanted to have a immortal life.

Page 5

FOLK DANCE

Most Chinese folk dance are just used to express people's happiness,loveliness and celebrate harvest. Different from court dance,there is no strict rule about the dance step and costume. It usually performs in the Festival like Spring Festival. The performance are designed to reflect Chinese people's daily labour.

tea-picking dance

Page 6

FEATURE OF CHINESE TRADITIONAL DANCE

Chinese traditional dance emphasizes the harmonious between the accompaniment and the dance and performance must show peotry and of the accompaniment. It always require a traditional Chinese music piece to provide the background music.

music

Page 7

FEATURE OF CHINESE TRADITIONAL DANCE

costume

The costume is usually very loose and have large cuff. It give the audiences a feeling that they fly in the cloud.

There are many swing, jump and wave.

movement

Page 8

LION DANCE

- The Lion Dance is the most widespread folk dance folk dance in

China.

- Performing the lion dance at the Spring Festival and other festive

occasions because Chinese people believe Lion dance could bring

good luck, safety and happiness.

- There are two performers who play lion, one handle the lion’s

head and the other control the body and tail.

Page 9

conclusionhistory of Chinese dance

more than 5000 years primitive dance primary rule was found in Han Dynasty

dance type

court dance

folk dance

feature of Chinese dance

music

costume

Chinese dance deeks for displaying the beauty of human body.

Chiese dance reflect Chinese people wishing the good life and want blend in the nature.

Page 10

WORKS CCITED

Faye Chunfang Fei, ed. (2002). Chinese Theories of Theater and Performance from Confucius to the Present. University of Michigan Press. p. 24-25. ISBN 978-0472089

239.

Fan Pen Li Che (2007). “Chinese Shadow Theatre: History, Popular Religion, and Women Warriors.” McGill-Queen's University Press. p. 64. ISBN 978-0773531970.

Gloria B. Strauss, “Camella Wing and Leung Yuen-wah Dance Research” Vol. 9, No. 2 (Spring - Summer, 1977), pp. 5-12 Published by: Congress on Research in Dance.

Chang H K, “China: Five Thousand Years of History and Civilization”, pp. 447-454 City University of Hong Kong Press. 2007

BAI, SHI. "Dance, Dance, Dance." Beijing Review 54.33 (2011): 42-43. Academic Search Premier. Web. 21 Apr. 2014.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SuuDFUYUiIg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gJo2LLYYk0