Dance in China

China has a long recorded history of various dance forms. Some Chinese dances such as dancing with long sleeves have been recorded for a long time. The best known Chinese dances nowadays are the Dragon dance and the Lion Dance. There are also 56 officially recognized ethnic groups in China, and each ethnic minority group in China also has its own folk dances.
Early history mime or burlesque jugglers, but there are other suggestions.[60] Folk dances of Han Chinese

Representations of dance have been found in Chinese pottery as early as the Neolithic period where groups of people are depicted dancing in a line holding hands.[1] The earliest Chinese word for "dance" written in the oracle bones is the character , a representation of a dancer holding oxtails in each hand performing an ancient dance.[2] According to the Lshi Chunqiu: "In former times, the people of the Getian clan () would dance in pairs [or threes] with oxtails in hand, stamping their feet and singing eight stanzas."[3][4] Primitive dance in ancient China was also associated with sorcery and shamanic rituals. An early shape of the Chinese character for sorcerer, wu (), represented dancing shamans or their sleeves;[5] wu therefore described someone who danced as a mean of communication between gods and men,[6] There are many mentions of dances by shamans and sorcerers in ancient records, for example, the performance of rain dance at times of drought.

Many of the folk dances are related to harvest and hunting and the ancient gods associated with them. For example, the Constellation Dance was performed to procure as much seed grain as there are stars in the sky, while the Harpoon Dance was associated to Fuxi who according the mythology gave the Han people fish net, and the Plough Dance was connected to Shennong, the god of agriculture.[61] Some examples of Chinese folk dance

Yangge - a dance that is common in Northern China. Lantern Dance - a dance found in Southern China. Er Ren Zhuan

Folk dances of ethnic minorities in China

There are many minority groups in China and each have their own dances that reflect their culture and way of life.[62] A few examples of their dances:

Traditional dance

Dragon dance - there are more than 700 different dragon dances in China Lion dance - the earliest detailed description of Lion Dance appeared during the Tang Dynasty, but it may have reached China as early as the third century AD.[29] One suggestion of its origin is that the dance was introduced from India by

Baishou Dance - a dance of the Tujia people Mongolian Bowl Dance () - a dance where female dancers balance several bowls on their heads while dancing. Long Drum Dance () - a dance of the Yao people which inspired the orchestral composition Dance of the Yao People. Sanam - an Uyghur dance. Lhamo - a Tibetan opera with dancing and singing

Ritual dance

Most early records of dances in China were ritual or ceremonial dances, and they were considered to be of great importance. These dances have largely disappeared from modern Han Chinese culture, although ritual dances are still found in the some folk traditions and the cultures of ethnic minorities in China.

Yi Dance (, literally "row dance") was originally a court dance, but adopted to form part of a Confucian ceremony. This is performed with rows of dancers holding pheasant feathers and red flutes in a square formation, and the most important ceremony is performed with 8 rows of 8 dancers (the Eight Yi Dance, 64 dancers in all). Previously dances were only performed in 6 rows of dancers (36 dancers in all) in Confucian temples as 8 rows were restricted to the Imperial court,[63][64] but permission was granted later by an emperor to perform the 8-row dance as well. Modernized version of such performances are presented for tourists at the confucian temple in Qufu.[65] This confucian dance is also performed in Taiwan and Korea. Nuo Dances () - a dance with masks which may be performed in Nuo opera or as rituals during festivals to drive away evil spirits.[66] Cham dance - a Tibetan Buddhist dance

Dragon dance

Folk dance from a minority group of china

Exercise dance

According to Lshi Chunqiu, during the time of Emperor Yao, a dance was created as exercise for the people to keep healthy after a prolonged spell of wet weather.[67] Traditionally some Chinese dances may also have connection with the martial arts and used to train fighting skills as well as for fitness, and some martial art exercises are similar to a choreographed dance. In modern China, older people may also use dance as a form of exercise in parks.

Chinese fan dance

Some Chinese dances

Ribbon dance