Wentai

Origins of Chinese Traditional Dance INTRODUCTION 1 Court Dance and Folk Dance 2 Feature of Chinese Traditional Dance 3 Lion Dance 4 5 Conclusion

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 conclusion history 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 ISBN Fan Pen Li Che (2007). “Chinese Shadow Theatre: History, Popular Religion, and Women Warriors.” McGill-Queen's University Press. p. 64. ISBN Gloria B. Strauss, “Camella Wing and Leung Yuen-wah Dance Research” Vol. 9, No. 2 (Spring - Summer, 1977), pp Published by: Congress on Research in Dance. Chang H K, “China: Five Thousand Years of History and Civilization”, pp City University of Hong Kong Press BAI, SHI. "Dance, Dance, Dance." Beijing Review (2011): Academic Search Premier. Web. 21 Apr