Wentai

History of Chinese Traditional Dance

INTRODUCTION

1

Court Dance and Folk Dance 2

Feature of Chinese Traditional Dance 3

Lion Dance 4

5Conclusion

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HISTORY OF CHINESE TRADITIONAL DANCE

The history of Chinese dance goes back more than 5000 years. As in many cultures around the world, early Chinese dances were a religious expression. Over the years, simple Chinese folk dances developed into intricate and beautiful performance pieces that are still performed by Chinese groups worldwide.

The dances were not centralized or recorded until the Han dynasty, which ruled from 206 B.C. until A.D. 220. During the Han dynasty, the imperial family established a musical court that served to bring all of the dances to one place where they could be documented. Soon the folk dances of the various villages and ethnic groups were enhanced into court versions.

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COURT DANCE

Chinese classical dance is more elegant and movements are softer and more expressive. Chinese folk dance has two mixed elements - a theatrical form and a street dance. Like Western ballet, each movement from head to toe must be posed accurately. Hand movements, in particular, are very detailed and look graceful. The dancers move their wrists and fingers smoothly like waves. performed by the group, the dance is energetic and joyful. The dancers run and leap around the full space on stage.

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FOLK DANCE

Most folk dance just tries to express beauty and loveliness. But there also is some dance that stands for strength and courage. Chinese folk dance has more lyrical use of arms, and the energy is more flowing whereas the Western ballet is more percussive.

tea-picking dance

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FEATURE OF CHINESE TRADITIONAL DANCE

Chinse traditional dance always require a traditional chinses music piece. Chinese traditional dance emphasizes the harmonious between the accompaniment and the dance. Traditional music in China is played on solo instruments or in small ensembles of plucked and bowed stringed instruments, flutes, and various cymbals, gongs, and drums.

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FEATURE OF CHINESE TRADITIONAL DANCE

costume

There were specific rules on colors of court garments in the Han Dynasty. Officers must wear garments according to the five time periods, i.e. cyan garments in the spring, red in the first two months of the summer, yellow in the last month of the summer, white in the autumn and black in the winter. 

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FEATURE OF CHINESE TRADITIONAL DANCE

Cloud skirt sleeves

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vHUz_9OIflk

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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 a custom where people could pray for good luck,

safety and happiness.

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

the other plays the body and tail. http://

www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCvXGbSLfw8

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conclusion

I’m talking about the history of Chinese traditional dance, the folk dance and court dance, the feature of Chinese traditional dance and the most famous traditional dance-----lion dance.

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WORKS CCITED

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

Faye Chunfang Fei, ed. (2002). Chinese Theories of Theater and Performance from Confucius to the Present. University of Michigan Press. p. 24-25. ISBN 978-0472089239.