Chinese Folk Dance
Chinese folk dance is a rich and colourful performing art with a long history. The early Chinese folk dances, like other forms of primitive
art, were essentially ritual enactments of superstitious beliefs performed in the hope of a good harvest, or – in the case of the earliest Chinese folk dances – in the hope of a good hunt, since the earliest Chinese folk dances were performed by hunter-gatherer folk.
The main Folk Dance's in China are the Dragon Dance and the Lion Dance.
The Dragon Dance
The Dragon Dance is done with a fake dragon. The dragon it is done with has a fierce face that symbolizes dignity, wisdom and power in Chinese society, including the power to terrify but the Chinese Dragon represents a benevolent force, even a happy one, who wishes
nothing more than to bring prosperity to the people.
The Dragon Dance belongs to a category of folk dances in which acrobatics figures are the one whom have to dance. They do swooping motions of the dragon. The dancers support the mock dragon on poles that can be raised, lowered and swung about as needed. Depending on the length of the mock dragon, up to 50 dancers can be required to animate it properly.
There are a couple of versions of the Dragon Dance but the most common one if the Fire Dragon performance, in which countless lanterns are paraded before the dragon, symbolizing the creature's fiery breath.
The Lion Dance
The most popular folk dance performance in all of China is the Lion Dance. The ancient Chinese, like the Greeks and the Romans who would appear after them, prized the qualities of the lion, seeing it as a guardian figure. The lion has a symbolic significance in Buddhism.
The Lion Dance has a different significance in northern versus southern China. In northern China it is more evocative and it is performed by acrobatic dancers. The lions are usually red, orange, and yellow, which are the royal colours. The female ones usually have green body fur.
In southern China the lion takes on the more symbolic role of one who guards against evil spirits. The lion has an oversized head, large eyes and one horn in the middle of its head.
Chinese folk dance is a rich and colourful performing art with a long history. The early Chinese folk dances, like other forms of primitive
art, were essentially ritual enactments of superstitious beliefs performed in the hope of a good harvest, or – in the case of the earliest Chinese folk dances – in the hope of a good hunt, since the earliest Chinese folk dances were performed by hunter-gatherer folk.
The main Folk Dance's in China are the Dragon Dance and the Lion Dance.
The Dragon Dance
The Dragon Dance is done with a fake dragon. The dragon it is done with has a fierce face that symbolizes dignity, wisdom and power in Chinese society, including the power to terrify but the Chinese Dragon represents a benevolent force, even a happy one, who wishes
nothing more than to bring prosperity to the people.
The Dragon Dance belongs to a category of folk dances in which acrobatics figures are the one whom have to dance. They do swooping motions of the dragon. The dancers support the mock dragon on poles that can be raised, lowered and swung about as needed. Depending on the length of the mock dragon, up to 50 dancers can be required to animate it properly.
There are a couple of versions of the Dragon Dance but the most common one if the Fire Dragon performance, in which countless lanterns are paraded before the dragon, symbolizing the creature's fiery breath.
The Lion Dance
The most popular folk dance performance in all of China is the Lion Dance. The ancient Chinese, like the Greeks and the Romans who would appear after them, prized the qualities of the lion, seeing it as a guardian figure. The lion has a symbolic significance in Buddhism.
The Lion Dance has a different significance in northern versus southern China. In northern China it is more evocative and it is performed by acrobatic dancers. The lions are usually red, orange, and yellow, which are the royal colours. The female ones usually have green body fur.
In southern China the lion takes on the more symbolic role of one who guards against evil spirits. The lion has an oversized head, large eyes and one horn in the middle of its head.