Kaitlin Fayles Dance 460 Caroline Prohosky 12/11/2013

A Study of Chinese Dance from Primitive Days through the Qing Dynasty

The history of dance in China is long, vast, and rich. Many aspects of their dance culture are similar to those of the Western cultures we have studied in class. Dance was a social event: people danced for survival, they danced in the streets; they danced at public gatherings and they went to watch dance shows. Chinese dancers were rarely treated well, but dance always had a prominent role in their society. China had its own primitive, or lineage-based, society that was infiltrated with dance. Not only are there written records of this ancient period, like Lus Spring and Autumn Annals, there are many works of art depicting dance in this time. Like in Greek society, the Chinese have a wide array of sculptures, pottery, and paintings that record dance repertoire. There are images of group dances, pas de deuxs, hunting and war dances, and more. Dance fulfilled several functions in primitive society: one use for dance at this time was recreation. There are accounts from as early as the Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 220) that indicate that people would sing and tramp their feet to the rhythm as they linked arms in an uninhibited dance which had no fixed number of participants. (Wang 2) Another use was military training. Like the Greeks, Chinese people performed various dances with weapons in order to help prepare them for battle. Dance was also connected with martial arts. Religious dances were common; each clan had dances to praise their own clans heroes. One specific dance called Dazhang

was used to pay homage to God. It was in primitive societies that movements and dances began to be named, and many of these were named after animals: for example, pair of flying swallows and tiger jumping. Some of these names have carried throughout the years and are still used in Chinese dance classes today. The Shang Dynasty (16th-11th century BC) has record of shamans, who would dance to invoke blessings from the gods. Originally, their dances were to win favor of the gods, but they gradually became used for the peoples enjoyment as well: the Book of History says that these were often danced in the palaces, sung drunkenly in the halls and were known as sorcery then and put them on a par with promiscuity and unrest as one of the three trends that had to be stopped. (Wang 8) Although this is an unfortunate deterioration of a sort of sacred dancing, it demonstrates the precursor of people dancing for pleasure and entertainment, which developed more greatly in later generations. Certain shaman dances also turned into folk dances. The Jin Dynasty (AD 265-420) also has record of shamans. There were two particular female shamans, Chen Zhu and Zhang Dan, who sang and danced. They performed together so as to heighten the emotional interplay of the viewers and also included some acrobatic-like pieces. Similar to shaman ritual dances are dances of exorcism, which have been recorded in the Zhou and Song dynasties. In these, dancers wore masks and danced frenziedly. They were used to overcome evil in the pursuit of a happy life. In the Song Dynasty, exorcism dances were performed by the court and people each New Years Eve, as well as at other times. Dancing slaves were common during the earlier periods of Chinese history. These were song and dance artists who performed solely for the entertainment of the slave masters. They were the main force of transitioning

dance from a spontaneous, social, group activity to a means of entertainment for others. Jie, who was ruler during the Xia Dynasty, kept 30,000 dancing girls and followed the old adages the bigger the better and the more the merrier when it came to dance. Sadly, although they composed beautiful songs and dances for their masters enjoyment, [dancing slaves] could be slaughtered at any time, lacking even any rights over their own existence. (Wang 11) In general, the women at this time were not treated well, and were at times even given as gifts. During the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, folk song and dance grew in popularity. Song and dance became more closely connected, which has continued throughout history. This gave rise for the development of variety shows during the Han Dynasty. Variety shows lived up to their name: they were performances full of acrobatics, martial arts, conjuring, comedians, singing, and dancing. They were quite popular among the people. Both men and women performed in these, depending on the show. There were many shows that were commonly recreated throughout this period. The Endless Fish and Dragons variety show was a folk dance where one dancer dressed and moved like a fish. There was also a dragon and a peacock dancer who wore elaborate costumes, which are depicted in pictures as being cumbersome. Today, however, the dragon dance has been improved to use a much lighter dragon in order to allow more freedom of movement. Although dancers in the Han Dynasty underwent strict training and were quite talented, they were of a low social status and were weak and powerless in society. Dances were shared among the different minorities across China . There are fifty-five minority groups today, and although each of them has at least one dance (if not dozens or hundreds) specific to their group, there was a time when movement and song were more communal. As people migrated throughout the country, they brought their music and dance with them. Kucina music and dance

(from the kingdom of Quzhi ) was brought to the Central Plains area and became used in dances of the Northern Zhou, Sui, and Tang Dynasties. This style had a lively melody and rhythm and could have been excellent dancing music. Another area called Xiliang was like an ancient hub for communication between the central areas and Western regions. This allowed for Xiliang music and dance, which was mainly influenced by the Western regions to be transported quite easily. Chinese dance has not only been influenced by cultures within the country, but outside the country, such as India and Korea . Koreans have dances that were performed based on the lunar calendar, shaman dances, dances named after animalslike the Sparrow-Step Dancemilitary dances, and long sleeve dances. Their Monk Dance was performed by a man who would rhythmically toss his long sleeves. Today, we traditionally think of female dancers as those who perform these long sleeve dances, but there are records of both men and women performing different types of these dances. There is one specific dance that was performed for 500-600 years from the Jin to the Sui and Tang Dynasties. This was called the White Ramie Dance, and was a beautiful display of graceful song and dance. Ramie is the material that the costumes were made from. This dance was performed by a single woman during various courts and banquets. As elegant as this dance was, concealed behind such beautiful scenes was the terrible suffering of the song and dance artistsmere objects to provide pleasure for others, slaves with no personal freedom who could be thrown out at any time. (Wang 42) Even as dance grew in popularity, dancers still were not held in high regard; however, the spreading of song and dance throughout China during this time prepared the way for dance to truly progress during the Suit and Tang Dynasties. The Sui Dynasty (AD 581-618) was a period when minority dances were gathered and recorded in books such as the Seven Books of Music, Qing

Shang Arts, and Korean Arts, Kucina Arts. This compilation of dances showed the unification of the country. Performances had a political purpose as well: during the Sui Dynasty, variety shows were brought to the capital each year to perform. These shows were often quite elaborate, involving thousands of performers doing acrobatics, dancing, singing, and magic, and showed the power and prowess of the capital. Another common occurrence was the Lantern Festival. Each year, on the 15th day of the first month in the lunar calendar, people would come together in the streets and celebrate together. There were dance performances from national minority groups, live Kucina music, even horsemanship and conjuring displays. The Lantern Festival was like a variety show where everyone could participate. After about thirty years and a peasant revolt, the Sui changed to the Tang Dynasty. China was once again politically stable, societies were prosperous, and dancing was at its peak. Dance in the Tang was boldly innovative, embracing many national folk dances and those brought from abroad. (Wang 64) Zuobu and Libu Arts were two different styles of dance, named after the type of music which accompanied them. They encompassed movement from various minority dances. Zuobu Arts were traditionally performed in halls. Because of this, there were less performers and had a more refined, highly technical style. Libu Arts were performed outside in courtyards and squares. They were much larger in scale, had more dancers, and focused more on elaborate, ostentatious displays. The Lion Dance was commonly showcased. Although this dance existed before the Tang Dynasty, it had progressed greatly by this point: dancers now wore fake lion skins and hairs and portrayed the various moods of the lion. This dance was used to clear the way in the streets for other performersacrobats and others to come through. It is still common among the people today.

One piece, Music of Breaking Through the Ranks, existed in both arts but was portrayed in two different ways. It told the story of the Prince of Qins experience at the battle front and how he helped unify the country. In the Zuobu Arts, this dance was performed by a mere four dancers, probably for entertainment purposes. In the Libu Arts, this piece included 120 dancers and had an emphasis on formations. Jin and Ruan were two styles of smaller scale dances that were often performed at ordinary banquets during the Tang Dynasty. The Jian dances were energetic and called for agility. The Saber Dance was a famous number. It likely developed from martial arts and consisted as one would expect dancing with a saber. Tartar Prancing Dance used leaps and a repetitious tramping step. Men still perform dances like this in Central Asia today. Ruan dances were soft, beautiful, and calm. The most famous Ruan dance was the Green Waist Dance. This was a solo for a woman, accompanied by one drummer and a pair of clapping musicians. The dancer wore long sleeves and would bend and turn like lotuses breaking the waves, flurrying as scattered snow in the wind. (Wang 59) The Tang Dynasty also started producing dance dramas. These combined singing, dancing, and acting into one performance. Some were simple and had only one character, but others, like Battered Wife, a drama about a heavy drinker who beat his beautiful singing wife, were more complex. These were the precursor of traditional opera. One other prominent dance that came from the Tang was the Whirling Dervish dance. Rapid spinning movements are still used today in classical Chinese dance and Chinese folk dances today. During the Northern and Southern Song Dynasties, folk dance and other performing arts continued to expand and advance. Each village had its own folk dance group which would perform on festival days. These performances were

similar to the shows staged at religious festivals during the Qing Dynasty, but they integrated performing groups who paraded the streets. Many of their dances are still performed today. Folk dances during the Song gave lively depictions of all kinds of people in scenes from life. This rich vitality was very different from the Tang dances which portrayed simple sentiments or styles. (Wang 73) Gradually, the country became weaker so courts were unable to maintain large institutions for music and dance. The Ming and Qing Dynasties (1368 and 1644) were where Chinese opera began to develop. This meant that dance by itself was seen less and less as it was incorporated into the opera. Ethical codes increased in severity so women could no longer perform in folk dances. The progress of dance was hindered. The feudal ruling class either altered folk dances for their own purposes or destroyed and banned them. (Wang 87) They did this out of fear that the people would rebel and revolt. Over the next centuries, folk dance would continue to be banned in China, yet it still managed to be passed down. In the 1950s and 1960s, folk dance gained a new life. Dance academies began to be built and dancers were trained professionally in ballet, classical Chinese dance, and Chinese folk dance. Dancers today still do not have the most glamorous lives, but they are immersed in one of the richest dance cultures of the world.

Bibliography

Grey, Beryl. Through the Bamboo Curtain. New York : Reynal, 1966. Print.

Wang, Kefen. The History of Chinese Dance. Beijing , China : Foreign Languages, 1985. Print. Chen, Wei-yeh, Lan-wei Chi, and Wei Ma. Flying Dragon and Dancing Phoenix : An Introduction to Selected Chinese Minority Folk Dances. Beijing , China : New World , 1987. Print. Wang, Kefen. Zhonghua Wu Dao Tu Shi = Chinese Dance : An Illustrated History. Taibei Shi: Wen Jin Chu Ban She You Xian Gong Si, 2002. Print.