In anticipation of NTDTV's inaugural Chinese Dance Competition, following is one in a series of articles that gives our readers insight into the history and meaning authentic Chinese classical dance. To help nonprofessionals understand the intricacies of Chinese classical dance, NTDTV interviewed Chinese dance expert Ms. Cao Yi.
This is the second in a series of interviews with renowned Classical Chinese dance expert Cao Yi. Please see Part One: " Chinese Dance—Shenyun and Yunmen ."
The main ethnic groups in China—Han, Mongolian, Uygur, Tibetan and Korean—all have their own characteristic dances.
NTDTV's 2007 Chinese New Year featured two dances of the Mongolian people—"Herding on the Mongolian Plains" and "Bowl Dance." Even today, Mongolians often ride their beloved horses over vast grasslands as they live in such an environment. Their people, particularly men, are very bold and tough, and most of their movements are related to the horse, such as reining and lassoing horses, and a horse's gait, which are the characteristics of their nationality.
The Dai, on the other hand, live near rivers in southern China. Its people are very soft and beautiful, and their movements are gentle and graceful. The Dai dance carries these characteristics, which is different from Chinese classic dance.
Ms. Cao pointed out that ethnic dances are often for self-entertainment, so in most cases when dance dramas need to express deeper content and narratives, the methods and skills of Chinese classic dance are applied.
For example, the dance segment featuring Han Zhongli, one of the eight immortals in Chinese legend basically used methods of Chinese classic dance. The dancers in "Eight Immortals Crossed the Sea" all used different ways to express their journey across the sea.
Han Zhongli's segment had big leaps and jumps—he jumped up and turned in the air. His big leap included a split jump as well. He jumped up and completed a split mid-air. There was also a big "swallow" leap where one leg kicks to the front and the other back while bent to form a beautiful gesture in the air, displaying his ability to cross the sea. In addition, the dancer completed a cluster of turns to roll over the sea waves.
Ms. Cao said that the movements of Chinese classic dance are very rich in expression. The split jump is an aerial movement with a high degree of difficulty. "Flying feet" is completed in the air with one leg kicked out while the other sweeps over it. "Flying feet" can be done singly as well as in a cluster and in a straight line as well as in a circular line. These movements are a high degree of difficulty.
There is another movement called "man-zi," also known as an aerial cartwheel in gymnastics. There are also turnings with various postures: tan-hai turning, slant tan-hai turning, sao-tang turning, as well as turning with one leg bent and arms kept in a perfect posture and in the meantime changing hand and leg postures while turning.
Ballet differs from Chinese classic dance in that ballet does not have a typical Chinese dance movement called "kua-tui turning," where the dancer holds a leg with one leg stretched out, then bent towards the body and held there. Ballet requires one's feet to be straight. "Chuan-fan-shen," a cluster of turnings, is not seen in ballet.
Ballet's turns are horizontal, while chuan-fan-shen is done either in a straight line or circular line. Some movements can be added, such as drawing in one's leg. It all depends on one's ability – from low to high and even higher. For instance, conducting a vertical turn with arms continuously turning vertically in one place. The number of turns one can make also represents one's ability.
One part of the training in Chinese classic dance deals with control. One's joints and ligaments must be opened in order to control movements of high difficulty, Ms. Cao says. The leg being pulled up above one's head is called "chao-tian-deng" and can be done from the front, sideways or from behind. The one from behind is not called "chao-tian-deng", but "zi-jin-guan" where one's leg is pulled up from behind and held by the hand. These movements are typical of Chinese classic dance and they are the basic abilities that dancers should possess.
When these movements are used to express content, one's inner spirit comes into play. For example, to display the beauty of Heaven and what the gods look like, the divine spirit is needed. When rehearsing dancers, Ms. Cao would tell them: You should carry a touch of the divine spirit. This is to say that one should sense a kind of pure and other-worldly feeling so as to express one's divine spirit. If the dancer is unable to express what he is meant to, then his movement is simply an empty movement.
NTDTV's International Classical Chinese Dance Competition will be held July 6,7, and 8, 2007. This is a wonderful opportunity for Chinese dancers throughout the world to present and promote authentic Chinese culture. As co-host, The Epoch Times is proud to support this important event.
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