Each nation has its own unique traditions. Travelers who come to China often admire colorful local customs, unique national style clothing, original holidays, unusual culinary that combines sweet and spicy ... Chinese dance occupies a special place in oriental culture.
Cultural traditions of China
The Chinese, like no other people, take care of their national culture: they honor the traditions of their ancestors and do not seek to borrow the customs of other peoples. From ancient times to our days, traditions of greetings, wedding ceremonies, family relationships, a tea ceremony, hieroglyphs, the specific sound of musical instruments, and folk Chinese dance have come almost unchanged. Surprisingly, the rapid modernization of the country had practically no effect on its traditional positions. The unity and strength of the nation lies in its great culture, thanks to the preservation of which the billionth society lives in stability and harmony.
Chinese dancing
In China, there are many ethnic groups. Each of them has its own shade of cultural traditions. This also applies to dance art. However, in every province there is always a dance that uses such an attribute as a fan. In almost every festival, you can see Chinese folk dance with this subject. Dancers in bright colorful costumes move gracefully, as in ballet, emphasizing their movements with a miniature fan. The festively decorated fan can be folded and opened, make large swings and barely tremble, shimmering with its patterns, an air border along the upper edge.
Nowadays, a fan dance is performed both in national costumes and in ordinary clothes for a studio production. He can learn from friends in the family circle. Widespread teaching this art in schools. Children's dance (Chinese), according to parents, should teach the younger generation to respect and protect the traditions of their people. They attach such great importance to this that often dancing with fans is included in the school curriculum.
At its core, this is not a studio number, but more a family tradition that is passed down from generation to generation.
Varieties of action
There are two varieties of this dance: civilian and military. Most often, you can observe the civilian form of execution. It is smoother, more graceful, moving, the movements of the participants are aimed at expressing beauty, peace. In addition to creating the necessary composition, according to the production, very often performers improvise.
Military Chinese dance imitates various kinds of military movements; it can be seen during military parades and exhibitions. Instead of a fan, weapons are usually used. But the techniques are very similar in both forms, just a military arrangement requires more precise and rigid movements. Very often in a military dance there are elements of martial arts.
The birth of Chinese dance
The history of Chinese dances goes back to the depth of 4 millennium BC. Ritual group movements gradually degenerate into real art. The movements could be smooth and dynamic. Increasingly, to add brightness and originality to the action, additional attributes were used - scarves, fans, feathers.
Chinese fan dance appeared during the reign of the Han Dynasty. The Han Empire lasted longer than everyone else in Chinese history (206 BC - 220 AD) and was marked by cultural and economic prosperity. The imperial family tried to collect all the dances that exist on the territory of the country and document them. After their reign, the main ethnic group was called the Han.
Historians and cultural scholars are convinced that it was thanks to the efforts of representatives of the dynasty mentioned that various traditional Chinese dances have survived, including a surprisingly beautiful performance with fans.
Dragon and lion
During the celebration of the New Year, the dance of the Dragon and the Lion must be performed. These traditional Chinese ceremonies are not dances in the usual sense. In the first case, a group of people holds a huge dragon doll on poles, an average of 25-35 meters in length. The dragon must move in wave-like movements. It is believed that the larger and longer the scarecrow, the more good luck it will bring next year. The doll management team sometimes includes up to 50 people. There may be several dragons during the celebration.
When performing Leo's dance, the protagonist is also the doll, and not the artists who make her move. The lion is much smaller than the dragon and is controlled by only two people inside the figure. Dance elements go back to martial arts movements.
Court skill
The so-called court dances, created and performed in ancient times at the court of the emperor, are not forgotten. This, for example, the dance of the cavalry of Prince Qin, the dance of Nishan Yui, Qipan, Baiu and others. Consider one of them in more detail.
The cavalry dance of Prince Qin glorifies the strength and power of his army. He had to show the courage, the greatness of the soldiers, the readiness at any moment to repulse the blow of the enemy. The emperor himself composed the music and invented the movements of the performers. A huge number of participants were involved in the performance: more than a hundred dancers, singers, musicians. The performance depicted battle scenes. At first, they demonstrated combat training, construction, then they imitated episodes of battle and victory. Note: no defeat! Always only victory!
Fans in other cultures
Fan dance is known not only to Chinese culture. There is a Japanese, Korean dance that has equally deep roots and its own specific differences. The time of the appearance of Japanese dance with a fan is considered to be the period of the reign of Emperor Jimmu (according to various sources, about 600 BC or about 300 BC), at the court of which performances with this accessory were often staged. In the Japanese production, solo performances are more common. The dance is very slow, calm, its simple monotonous elements are also complemented by improvisation. A special role is given to the fan. His beauty comes first, so the lion's share of the effort goes into the manufacture of this item. For special receptions, Japanese craftsmen could make a sandalwood fan with ivory, mother of pearl, gold and precious stones.
In the 30s of the 20th century, dancing with fans appeared in America and quickly became very popular there.
Chinese dance in the ballet The Nutcracker
Eastern culture once inspired Pyotr Tchaikovsky. In his brilliant ballet The Nutcracker, first presented on December 6, 1892 at the Mariinsky Theater, there was a place for Chinese dance with fans. In the second act, after the arrival of Clara and the Nutcracker, and before the Waltz of the Flowers, there is a divertissement (addition to the play, an “insertion” number not related to the plot), representing residents of the sweet city of Confetenburg. All the sweets you can imagine - sorbet, candies, candied fruits, candy, gingerbread, marmalade, chocolate, nuts, caramel - you can drink with chocolate, tea or coffee. In honor of these three drinks, 3 actions are set. The Tea Dance was announced by Tchaikovsky as Chinese, Coffee as Arabic, Chocolate as Spanish Dance.
The first divertissement opens with Chocolate, bringing with it the sounds of trumpets, castanets, red robes. It is followed by Coffee - unhurried, thoughtful, as if frozen in the heat of the Arabian desert. Delicate violins are complemented by cellos. Next comes Tea.
The Chinese dance "Tea" is performed in the style of Chinese folk action with fans. At the same time, in some productions, other objects are used instead of them, and sometimes the whole emphasis is purely on the arrangement of the hands and the corresponding movements, reminiscent of a possible fan. Dancers are dressed in costumes with national symbols. Tchaikovsky diversified the Chinese dance with a combination of high and low registers of flute and bassoon, creating a slightly comic, if toy, effect.
The divertissement is completed by the adaptation of the Russian dance “trepak”, the performance of the shepherds and the comic act of Mummy Zhigon.
The Chinese Nutcracker dance demonstrates the complexity of the dance movements of the ballet, requiring lengthy training, special skills, and efforts.
Modern attitude
Nowadays, interest in acting with fans is growing. This beautiful simple art can be learned not only in China, Japan and Korea, but also in other countries.
Although the performance is somewhat reminiscent of ballet (smoothness, tact, grace), but the movements are not so complicated, and the production itself serves other purposes. Classical Chinese dance focuses on expressiveness and coordination, the complexity of the techniques goes by the wayside. It is wonderfully suitable for children. The simplicity of the repeating elements and the colorfulness of the costumes and attributes allows this art to be widely used in child care facilities. Preschoolers and older children are happy to demonstrate their skills at matinees, dance competitions, concerts, etc.
Children's dances (Chinese) can be found in Russia. In order not to be unfounded, we give an example. In 2012, a group of kids aged 6-7 years old took 1st place at the festival of children's art "Zhyrlysyym Kile" for the Chinese dance with fans. Its performance was not too intricate, but elegant costumes, combined with the picturesque wings, fans, turned the dancers into little birds of paradise.