Get A Glance of Chinese Classical Dance

In the West, we are familiar with ballet and performances like the Nutcracker or Swan Lake. But there's another classical dance form with a long history that has only recently bursted onto the world scene. It is called Chinese classical dance. Chinese classical dance is an incredibly demanding, refined, and expressive dance form. Alongside ballet, it is also one of the most comprehensive dance systems known to humankind. Chinese classical dance is rooted in five millennia of Chinese civilization. Its origins go back to dances in ancient imperial palaces and folk traditions that were passed down through the generations. Some elements were preserved to this day through martial arts. Chinese classical dance includes three main components. Technical skill, form, and bearing. The high-level techniques of Chinese classical dance are also incredibly demanding and include many movements not present in ballet. For example, the spins are performed with the upper body leaning forward, tilted upwards, or twisted backwards. And as a result, spins can take place on multiple planes. Form is the system of numerous distinct Chinese movements and postures. But perhaps the most important part of the training is bearing, or in Chinese known as yun. Yun is the inner feeling behind a movement. It is deeply connected to the dancer's breathing and state of mind and uniquely reflects a performer's personality. The movement in Chinese classical dance is unique and special. The body rhyme follows the movement rules of starting from the opposite side, such as desire left first right, desire up first down, desire to open first close, which is in contrast to regular rules. And the three circles consisting of flat circle, vertical circle, and eight character circle rules are like the grammar of body rhyme language. It emphasizes movements that are round and continuous with no pauses. The footwork is also particularly different from western dances. Its rapid heel-to-toe mini step looks like the dancers are not so much walking as they are gliding across the stage. The movement is so quick and smooth that it makes the dancers seem as if floating on a cloud.