Sword Dance in China
Many believe that sword dancing evolved from the early Chinese art of wu shu. The simple martial art became a military training technique with swords and spears and then turned into an elaborate acrobatic dance. Sword dancing, often called jian wu, was one of four Chinese classical dances that were used in the famous Chinese opera. Each of these dances was very meaningful within the opera performances and they often were used for plot descriptions and characterization. Sword dancing also found a use in Chinese culture through communicating with the supernatural; sword dancing was done in an effort to communicate feelings to the dead spirits that may be disrupting a household.
- Styles of Chinese Sword Dancing
There are quite a few styles within the actual art of sword dancing. The first style of sword dancing focuses on relaxation and flexibility while the other style focuses on speed and strength. Besides there are different styles of sword dancing, there are also different types of swords and weapons used during each dance. A long sword is usually wielded with slower dramatic movements during a solo performance while shorter, scimitars are used at a very high pace during a sword dance between two or more people. Each style requires certain movements that require the dancer to be acrobatic and these skills shown by the dancers often entertained the crowd to a great extent.
Read more about this topic: Sword Dance
Famous quotes containing the words sword, dance and/or china:
“Your master Robin Hood lies dead,
Therefore sigh as you sing.
Here lie his primer and his beads,
His bent bow and his arrows keen,
His good sword and his holy cross:”
—Anthony Munday (1553–1633)
“God be with the times when I
Cared not a thraneen for what chanced
So that I had the limbs to try
Such a dance as there was danced—
Love is like the lion’s tooth.”
—William Butler Yeats (1865–1939)
“Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve, I’ve dreamed of havin’ my own things about me. My spinet over there and a table here. My own chairs to rest upon and a dresser over there in that corner, and my own china and pewter shinin’ about me.”
—Frank S. Nugent (1908–1965)