The History of Chinese Cultural Performances

There is a long history of Chinese cultural performances dating back to the dawn of the culture of this nation which gave the world many important events and types of performance. Chinese cultural performances are thought to date back over 5,000 years to the era of the Yellow Empire when Tao was developed, according to Shen Yun Performing Arts. There are many aspects of traditional Chinese culture you can explore from music to dance, gymnastics, and plays.

Early dance origins

The birth of artistic culture in China is thought to date back to the early religious movements which gave birth to folk dances and the historic performances we often see today. In early Chinese cultural performances, religious leaders and their followers would imitate the movements of animals which would influence generations of dancers for centuries to come. Asian Traditional Theater And Dance reports the tradition of Chinese cultural performances reflected the rigid social norms seen in the society which included the division of men and women. The culture of dance in China split performances into two forms, wu dances were performed by men and xi dances by women.

Dance dates back thousands of years

The arrival of dance as a form of cultural performance in China became popular as street performances extended across the nation with dancers, jugglers, acrobats, and other performances similar to those now seen in Chinese circus performances. The most famous of these performances are probably the iconic female dancers who are known for their long, fluttery sleeves. Drawings and sculptures of these images date back thousands of years to give a clue about the length of time this cultural form has been in use for.

Developing the play

Traditional dramatic plays began to be developed in China around the sixth century A.D. which incorporated dance, mime, and early dramatic acting. These plays can take many forms including that of the mask, which began with the story of a prince who has such soft features he is forced to wear a mask in public. These plays were created as a combination of dance, mime, and straight acting which creates a unique blend of the arts giving rise to the majority of modern Chinese cultural performances.

There are many different influences and themes explored in the majority of Chinese cultural performances which are still performed in the 21st-century. The influence of Chinese cultural performance is so dominating around the world that the moves used in traditional dance can be found in disciplines spread across the world. Both gymnasts and martial arts practitioners use moves born in the early years of Chinese cultural performances.