History of Chinese dance facts for kids
Dance in China has a very long and exciting history. People have been dancing in China for over 4,000 years! Early dances were often folk dances or special ritual dances. Some of these later became fancy court dances for emperors. The most important early dances were part of special ceremonies. They were called yayue and were performed in the imperial court until the Qing dynasty.
Many different kinds of dances were popular in ancient China. These included dances for entertainment and everyday folk dances. The art of dance reached its peak during the Tang dynasty (618–907 CE). Many dances were recorded during this golden age. Later, dance as a separate art form became less common. Dances started to be included more in operas. Also, a new fashion involving shaping feet became popular among some women, especially dancers. This practice, while sometimes linked to dance, eventually made it harder for women to dance freely, leading to a decline in female dance performances. Today, dance is popular again. Many people, both professionals and the public, enjoy dancing.
We have written records of Chinese dances from over two thousand years ago. Some dance styles are still performed today. For example, dancing with long sleeves has been around since the Zhou dynasty (around 1045–256 BCE). Famous dances like the Lion dance also date back to the Tang dynasty or even earlier. Many others were known from at least the Song era. Chinese dance is an art form that keeps changing and growing. Modern Chinese dances are still developing quickly.
Contents
- Ancient Roots: The Beginnings of Chinese Dance
- Qin and Han Dynasties: New Dance Forms Emerge
- Six Dynasties Era: New Influences and Blending Styles
- Sui and Tang Dynasties: The Golden Age of Dance
- From Song to Qing Dynasties: Dance and Opera
- Yuan to Qing Dynasties: Opera Takes Center Stage
- Modern Era: Dance Reborn
- Dragon Dance and Lion Dance: Iconic Traditions
- See also
Ancient Roots: The Beginnings of Chinese Dance
Pictures of people dancing have been found on Chinese pottery from the Neolithic period (before 2000 BCE). These pictures show people dancing in a line, holding hands. The oldest Chinese symbol for "dance" looks like a dancer holding ox tails. An ancient text from around 239 BCE says that people from the Getian clan would dance in pairs or threes. They held ox tails, stamped their feet, and sang.
Early dances in China were also connected to magic and special rituals. The old Chinese character for "sorcerer" or "shaman" (巫; wu) showed dancing shamans. These dancers were believed to communicate between gods and people. Many old stories tell of shamans dancing, like performing a rain dance during dry times. The rain dance platform is mentioned in ancient texts, including the Analects of Confucius.
The Great Dances of the Zhou Dynasty
Ancient Chinese books like the Rites of Zhou (2nd century BCE) describe early dances. The most important dances of the Zhou dynasty were called the "Great Dances." There were six of them. They were performed to honor Heaven, Earth, gods, ancestors, or legendary heroes. These dances were part of the court music and dance system called Yayue. This system began during the Western Zhou dynasty (1046–771 BCE). Music and dance were seen as one art form. Each dance had its own music. The word for music (樂; yue) could also mean dance, and sometimes even poetry.
These six Great Dances were said to come from the time of six famous figures:
- 雲門大卷; Yunmen Dajuan: From the Yellow Emperor's time, honoring the sky.
- 大咸; Daxian or 大章; Dazhang: From Emperor Yao's time, honoring the earth.
- 大磬; Daqing or 大韶; Dashao: From Emperor Shun's time, honoring the Gods of the Four Directions, or the sun, moon, stars, and seas.
- 大夏; Daxia: Honoring Yu the Great, for mountains and rivers.
- 大濩; Dahu: From Tang of Shang (end of the Xia dynasty), honoring female ancestors.
- 大武; Dawu: Praising King Wu of Zhou, used for ancestor worship.
The Dashao dance was from Emperor Shun's time. Dancers might have dressed as birds and beasts. One old document mentioned a ritual where people beat stones as wild animals danced. Confucius thought highly of this dance.
The Daxia dance honored Yu the Great. He was famous for controlling floods. In this dance, 64 performers danced without shirts, wearing fur caps and white skirts. Their movements might have copied the hard work of flood control.
These formal dances had two types: civil and military. In a Civil Dance (文舞), dancers held things like feather banners. Military Dances (武舞) involved using weapons. The Dawu was an important military dance. It had six parts and showed the brave actions of King Wu of Zhou.
Small Dances and Popular Entertainment
There were also "Small Dances" for younger nobles. These were for smaller ceremonies and rituals. They included:
- Five-Colour Silk Dance (帗舞): For worshipping the land and harvest gods.
- Feather Dance (羽舞): For ancestral temples or the Gods of the Four Directions.
- Imperial Dance (皇舞): For the Gods of the Four Directions or as a rain dance.
- Yak-tail Banner Dance (旄舞): Performed at special learning places.
- Shield Dance (干舞): For military purposes or honoring mountains and rivers.
- Dance of the People (人舞): Honoring stars or ancestral temples.
All these dances involved dancers holding objects, except the Dance of the People. That dance focused on graceful sleeve movements.
Besides formal dances, popular folk dances were also mentioned in old texts. In the Book of Rites, Marquis Wen of Wei preferred lively new music and dances. His advisor, however, thought these were too wild.
During the Spring and Autumn period and Warring States period, stories about professional dancing girls appeared. These were often people from poorer families. They performed in palaces or noble homes. Sometimes, people from poorer families became dancers, and some were even forced into it.
Qin and Han Dynasties: New Dance Forms Emerge
During the Qin and Han dynasties, the government created a "Music Bureau" (yuefu). Its job was to collect folk music and dances for court performances. A very popular dance was the Long Sleeve Dance. We see it in many ancient pictures and sculptures. This traditional dance is still performed today. The sleeves could be long and narrow, long and wide, or like the "water sleeves" used in Chinese opera. Dancers would bend at the waist while moving their sleeves.
Many dances from this time are in historical records. One story tells of a sword dance performed by Xiang Zhuang. He tried to attack Liu Bang (who founded the Han dynasty) at a banquet. This event led to the "Gong Mo" Dance, meaning "Sir, Don't!" It showed how Xiang Bo blocked Xiang Zhuang's sword. This dance later became the Scarf Dance. It used a long scarf in each hand, similar to today's Long Silk Dance. Liu Bang also liked the war dance of the Ba people, called the 巴渝; Bayu dance.
Other dances included the Drum Dance, Bell Dance, Sabre Dance, and dances for couples. The Seven Tray Dance was a mix of acrobatics and dance. Dancers gracefully leaped between trays and drums, getting faster as the dance went on.
A popular type of entertainment during the Han dynasty was the "hundred shows" (百戲; baixi). These shows included acrobatics, martial arts, magic, comedy, music, and dance. One writer described dancers dressed as beasts, fish, and dragons.
Zhao Feiyan was a famous Han dynasty dancer. She was known for her slim figure and light dance steps. She was so light, she seemed to quiver like a flower! Professional dancers often came from poor families. However, some, like Zhao Feiyan, gained higher status by becoming important women in the palace. Another dancer, Wang Wengxu, became a singer-dancer and later gave birth to the future Emperor Xuan of Han.
Six Dynasties Era: New Influences and Blending Styles
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During the Six Dynasties period (between the Han and Sui dynasties), Chinese music and dance were greatly influenced by Central Asia. Instruments like the pear-shaped pipa and dances like the lion dance may have arrived during this time. Music and dance from places like Kucha and Western Liang became popular. These styles often mixed Chinese and non-Chinese traditions. Even emperors married princesses from other cultures, bringing new music and dances to China.
This period saw many changes and conflicts. China was divided into many states. This led to a mix of music and dance from different regions. A new style called 清商; Qingshang music (later 清樂; Qingyue) was created.
When the capital moved south to Jiankang (modern Nanjing), music and dance from the Wu region became popular. These included dances like the Qianxi Dance, Whisk Dance, White Ramie Dance, Cup Tray Dance, and the Mingjun Dance, which told the story of Wang Zhaojun.
Sui and Tang Dynasties: The Golden Age of Dance
In the late 6th century, Emperor Wen of Sui reunited China. The Sui dynasty collected music and dance from all the different peoples in China. They also gathered popular music from outside China. This collection was called the "Seven Books of Music." It included music and dance from Western Liang, Korea, India, Bukhara, Kucha, and other regions.
Later, more music and dance were added, forming the "Nine Books of Music," and then "Ten Books" during the Tang dynasty. This showed how diverse and international Tang dynasty music and dance were. Only a few styles were originally from the Han Chinese. Music and dance from India, Central Asia, Southeast Asia, and other neighboring states were performed in the capital city of Chang'an. Performers wore their traditional costumes. The Tang court brought together the best dancers to create grand performances. These dances combined styles from China, Korea, India, Persia, and Central Asia.
Dances from Central Asia were especially popular. One was the Sogdian Whirling Dance (胡旋舞) from Samarkand. It involved very fast spinning. Spinning dance moves are still seen among the Uyghur people today. Even famous figures like An Lushan and Emperor Xuanzong of Tang's favorite, Consort Yang, were said to perform this dance.
Another popular dance was the Mulberry Branch Dance (柘枝舞) from Tashkent. It could be a solo dance with fast drumming. Sometimes, two girls would appear from inside a large lotus flower. There was also a male solo dance called the Barbarian Leap Dance (胡騰舞). It was described as a dance by white-skinned people with high noses.
The Tang dynasty was truly a golden age for Chinese music and dance. Special schools were set up to train musicians and dancers for the imperial court. Emperor Xuanzong of Tang even founded the Pear Garden Academy. At one point, there were about 30,000 musicians and dancers at the court!
Court performances were of two types: "seated performances" (坐部伎) and "standing performances" (立部伎). Seated performances were smaller and focused on refined art. Standing performances involved many dancers and were for grand shows in courtyards.
Famous standing performances included The Seven Virtues Dance. It celebrated the military achievements of Emperor Taizong of Tang. It was performed by 120 dancers in golden armor with spears. Other major Tang dances were the Blessed Goodness Dance and The Supreme Original Dance.
Smaller dances for banquets were either "energetic dances" (健舞) or "soft dances" (軟舞). Energetic dances were lively and athletic, often from Central Asia. The Sword Dance, famously performed by Lady Gongsun, was an energetic dance. Soft dances were gentle and graceful, like the Green Waist Dance, a female solo dance.
Large banquet performances with singers, dancers, and musicians were called Grand Compositions. The Rainbow Skirt Feathered Dress Dance was a very famous one. It was choreographed by Consort Yang and set to music by Emperor Xuanzong of Tang. This slow, gentle dance might have come from Central Asia or India. After the An Lushan Rebellion, the power of the state weakened, and court music and dance became less grand.
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During the Sui and Tang dynasties, song-and-dance dramas became popular. These were early forms of Chinese opera. Examples include "The King of Lanling," a masked dance honoring a brave general. Another masked dance, Botou, told the story of a grieving son. "The Dancing Singing Woman" told the story of a wife and her husband. These simple stories are thought to be the beginnings of Chinese opera and theater.
Many Tang dynasty dances are described in Tang poetry. Poets wrote about the Whirling Dance, the sword dance, and the White Ramie Dance. They also wrote poems for processional dances that could involve hundreds of performers.
A huge number of dances were recorded in the Tang dynasty. However, most were lost after the dynasty fell. Some vigorous Central Asian dance styles were later less favored. But some music and dances were passed on to Japan. They are still kept alive today as Tōgaku, part of gagaku.
From Song to Qing Dynasties: Dance and Opera
After the Tang dynasty, China went through a period of division. Then, the Song dynasty reunited the country. During this time, a new fashion involving shaping feet became popular among some women, especially dancers. This practice, while sometimes linked to dance, eventually made it harder for women to dance freely, leading to a decline in female dance performances. As this practice became more common, there were fewer stories about beautiful dancers. Over time, this fashion, along with other social rules, led to fewer female dancers in later eras.
Popular entertainment centers in Song dynasty cities were called 瓦子; wazi. They had theaters where various shows, including dances, were performed. Dances often involved spinning movements. Some Tang dynasty dances developed into "Team Dances" with a lead dancer and background performers. These dances included singing, talking, and dialogue.
Many dances familiar today were mentioned in the Song dynasty. Examples include the Flower Drum, Playing the Big Head (where a performer wears a large mask), and the Dry Boat Dance. In the Dry Boat Dance, a boy might dress as a girl in a cloth boat, pretending to sail. These dances were often performed by folk dance groups during festivals.
In the Song dynasty entertainment centers, different types of theater grew. Chinese opera began to take shape. Dances became part of longer stories. For example, a sword dance might be followed by a scene showing people's reactions to it. Stories were told through these dance performances, often with songs.
Yuan to Qing Dynasties: Opera Takes Center Stage
Chinese opera became very popular by the Yuan dynasty. In the dynasties that followed, many types of opera developed, like kunqu and Peking opera. Dances became a key part of opera. Performers had to be skilled dancers. For example, in kunqu opera, almost every line of singing might have a dance movement.
Dances like "Dance Judgment" (舞判) became opera scenes in the Ming dynasty. As Chinese opera grew more popular, dance as a separate art form became less common. By the Ming dynasty, pure dance was mostly found in folk traditions and festival performances. Over time, social rules changed, and sometimes women were not allowed to perform in public theaters. Men then took on female roles in plays and dances.
However, folk dances remained popular. Many Qing dynasty folk dances were known from earlier times. For example, the yangge dance came from a Song dynasty dance. Small folk song-and-dance shows like the Flower Drum, Flower Lantern, and Picking Tea became popular. These folk performances also influenced local forms of opera.
Modern Era: Dance Reborn
In the early 20th century, there was a movement to use old Chinese art forms to connect with people. Traditional Chinese dances were updated and shared widely. In 1943, the Chinese Communist Party promoted a new yangge dance. It was a simpler version of the old dance with new themes.
Western dance forms also became popular in the 20th century. For example, Western ballroom dancing was popular in Shanghai in the 1940s. Even early Communist leaders enjoyed Soviet-style ballroom dancing. Before this, it was usually not acceptable for men and women from respected families to dance together in public.
Dai Ailian was a notable dancer in the 20th century. She collected folk dances and created new works based on them. Her dances included Lotus Dance, Flying Apsaras, and The Drum of Yao People. Dai also started China's first ballet school, the Beijing Dance School, in 1954.
Today, in the People's Republic of China, new dances are still created based on old forms and folk traditions. While they might use traditional names, these dances seen in theaters and on TV are often modern interpretations of ancient styles. Also, various forms of outdoor dancing are very common. Groups of people dance together in public spaces as a fun way to exercise.
Dragon Dance and Lion Dance: Iconic Traditions
Among the most famous Chinese traditional dances are the dragon dance and lion dance. Both have existed in various forms for a long time. A type of lion dance similar to today's was described in the Tang dynasty. The modern dragon dance, however, might be a more recent development.
In some of China's earliest dances, performers dressed as animals or mythical beasts. During the Han dynasty, some forms of the dragon dance were mentioned. The Dragon was linked to rain. So, during droughts, a dance might be performed to ask for rain. Ancient texts describe making clay dragons and having children or adults dance. The number, length, and color of the dragons, and the performers, could change with the time of year. In variety shows, performers dressed as creatures like a green dragon playing a flute.
Modern dragon dances use lightweight structures. A dozen or more people manipulate the dragon with poles. Some dragons can be very long, involving hundreds of performers. China has over 700 different dragon dances!
The lion dance may have come from outside China, as lions are not native there. The Chinese word for lion, 獅; shi, might come from a Persian word. Detailed descriptions of lion dances appeared in the Tang dynasty. It was seen as a foreign import then, but the dance might have existed in China as early as the third century CE. It may have come from India or Persia. In the Tang court, the lion dance was called the Great Peace Music. Five large, colorful lions, each over 3 meters tall, were teased by "lion lads." Another version was performed by two people. They wore a lion costume with a wooden head, silk tail, and furry body. This form looks like today's Lion Dance.
Lion dances use instruments like gongs, drums, and cymbals. The music matches the dance movements. There are two main types of Chinese lion dance: the Northern Lion and the Southern Lion. The Northern Lion looks more realistic. The Southern Lion is less lifelike but shows more power. A form of the lion dance is also found in Tibet, called the Snow Lion Dance.
See also
- Theatre of China
- History of dance
