The Origin of China Classical Dance

The origin, rhyme, aesthetics and curriculum characteristics of China classical dance.

China classical dance, as a category of China dance art, is a dance with certain demonstration significance and classical style, which is based on traditional folk dance, refined, sorted, processed and created by professional workers in past dynasties, and tested by long-term artistic practice. Classical dance was founded in 1950s and was once called "traditional opera dance" by some people. It is a mixture of drama and dance, that is to say, it has not completely evolved from drama, so it is called drama, which removes the most important singing and reading in drama; Say it is a dance, it still maintains the original state of the opera in quantity. The songs and dances in China's traditional operas serve this story. Even a martial arts drama that does not sing well is still a drama, and the subordinate relationship of its dance to the role industry is also very clear.

From its origin, classical dance is a revival of the traditions of classical dance, traditional opera dance and China dance for thousands of years. Obviously, its aesthetic principle is not a new invention, but the spread and continuation of China culture for thousands of years, strung together with a long line from ancient times to the present. These principles can be found not only in traditional Chinese opera, but also in music and dance in Tang and Song Dynasties, "dance drama" in Han and Wei Dynasties, and even rites and music in Shang and Zhou Dynasties. As far as its flow direction is concerned, it is a brand-new art category produced locally, a new dance category comparable to ballet and modern dance, and this exotic dance category is authentic from China.

China classical dance has not yet passed its childhood, but is still growing. However, with the emergence of body rhyme, its aesthetic core has been stable, its theoretical foundation has been relatively solid, and its action system has been formed. We have every reason to say that it has got rid of the prototype of China traditional opera and moved towards the category of real dance.

China classical dance "Body Rhyme" course came into being in the early 1980s. After more than ten years' practice, it has been gradually recognized by Chinese and foreign dance circles and academic circles. 1993 was rated as an excellent teaching achievement by the State Education Commission. Li Zhengyi and Tang Mancheng, the old professors of classical dance in Beijing Dance Academy, resolutely created the class of "Body Rhyme" of classical dance, which revived China classical dance and the cause of classical dance. When interpreting "classical dance", Professor Li Zhengyi said: "It is called classical dance, not a copy of ancient dance, but a new classical dance based on profound traditional dance aesthetics and adapted to modern people's appreciation habits. It takes the nation as the main body, based on the national aesthetic principles such as drama and martial arts, and absorbs the beneficial parts of foreign art such as ballet, making it an independent, national and contemporary dance species and system. "

2. The body rhyme and aesthetics of classical dance.

"Body rhyme" is the general term for "body method" and "rhythm". "Body" belongs to the external technique category, and "rhythm" belongs to the artistic connotation. Only by organically combining and infiltrating them can we truly embody the style and aesthetic essence of China classical dance. In other words, "body rhyme" means "having both form and spirit, integrating body and mind, and integrating inside and outside", which is an indispensable symbol of China classical dance and the artistic soul of China classical dance. Although the source of style of body rhyme is obvious, it can no longer be called "drama dance", and its transformation from drama to dance has been basically completed. It got rid of the ever-changing roles of opera and dance. However, no matter how it changes, it is the same. This "one" and this "change" are both rare figures in art and the essence of artistic aesthetics.

A mature national dancer's action on the stage has aesthetic value and artistic charm, because it embodies the high integration of "form, spirit, strength and rhyme" and is an important expression of the body rhyme of China classical dance. "Form, spirit, strength and rhyme", as the basic action elements of body rhyme, highly summarizes all the connotations of body rhyme. Form, that is, external action, includes the movement line connected by posture and its action. God, that is, charm and mind, is the dominant part. Strength is strength, which includes the artistic treatment of the relationship between priority, strength and softness. Law, that is, the movement law of the action itself. The relationship between these four elements of action is both physical and mental, and internal and external unity can be achieved through force and law. Its law is "harmony between heart and heart, harmony between heart and qi, harmony between qi and force, harmony between force and form". These are incisive generalizations and refinements. These words and basic movements are highly unified and harmonious, which constitutes a dance aesthetic theory with China characteristics.

1, shape

Form refers to actions beyond form. It is manifested in various postures, ever-changing movements and their connections. All visible forms and processes can be called "shapes". Form is the most basic feature of image art, the attachment of classical dance charm and the media of classical dance beauty.

As we all know, through the analysis of the aesthetic characteristics of traditional art and various typical dances, it is concluded that the curvaceous beauty of "twisting, warping, roundness and curvature" and the temperamental beauty of "vigorous, implicit and flexible" must be solved first in "shape". China's dance emphasizes "twisting, slanting, roundness and bending", the curvaceous beauty of upturning, slanting, turning and warping, and the inherent temperament of "vigorous, straight, implicit and flexible". From the unearthed tomb figures and Dunhuang murals, it is not difficult to see that this point has been in the same strain since ancient times and has been constantly developing and evolving. For example, the figures in dance benches in Qin and Han Dynasties, Sandaowan in Tang Dynasty, meridian, yin and yang, twist twist, the rolling, twisting and toughening of Jiaozhou Yangko, a Chinese folk dance, and the stopping, exploring, twisting and waving of ocean Yangko. Mastering the curvaceous beauty of posture and modeling also requires corresponding qualities and abilities. Therefore, it is also a technology, and the "twisting, oblique, round and curved" of the human body is the overall image. Locally speaking, "head, neck, chest, waist, buttocks", "shoulders, elbows, wrists, arms, palms" and "knees, ankles, feet and steps" all have their specific requirements.

2. God

Here refers to the connotation, spirit, rhythm and temperament. Any art without charm can be said to have no soul. Charm is an extremely important concept in China's literary criticism. Whether we talk about poetry, painting, music and calligraphy, we can't do without the word verve. In the movement of human body in classical dance, verve can be recognized and felt. Moreover, only by grasping the "god" can "form" have vitality.

In the concept of mind, body rhyme emphasizes the connotation of Yun Qi, breath and idea. Emphasize verve and inner feelings. In the relationship between form and god, god is put in the first place, and it is this concept and emotion of "leading form with god and conveying spirit with form" that creates the rhyme of body rhyme. It can be said that without rhyme, there would be no China classical dance. Without the stimulation and drive of inner feelings, the most important brilliance of China classical dance will be lost.

"Heart and mind, mind and qi, qi and force, force and shape". The so-called "heart, mind and spirit" is the embodiment of "verve". People often say that "eyes are the windows to the soul" and eyes are vivid tools. The "gathering, releasing, coagulating, closing and closing" of the eyes does not refer to the movement of the eyeball itself, but the result expressed by the connotation and psychological rhythm, which shows that verve dominates everything. "The shape has not moved, God leads first, the shape has stopped, and God has not stopped." This formula vividly and accurately explains the connection and relationship between form and god.

For a long time, people have been puzzled by the inherent rhythm of China classical dance. Although the word "circle" has long been recognized by people, it is a long-term puzzle for people engaged in classical dance. The founders of Tiyun put forward the theory of "three-circle movement". They thought that the body movement process of China classical dance was along three circles. This is the vertical circle, the horizontal circle and the figure-eight circle. Surprisingly, this long-standing problem is so easy to be solved. And it is so accurate and concise. It immediately reminds people of Laban's theory of "spherical motion". They have very similar ideas and explain their own laws. The original reason is very simple. Science has gone through the process of "from shallow to deep" to "from simple to simple". The simple truth is the result of hard exploration, long-term accumulation and accidental acquisition.

3. Strength

"Strength" is an internal rhythm given to external actions and a distinct and contrasting strength treatment. For example, "the point in the line" or "the line in the point" in motion (that is, the movement in stillness) are all properly expressed by "strength". The running rhythm of China classical dance is often different from the conventional 2/4, 3/4 and 4/4 musical rhythms. More often, it is carried out at a regular "elastic" rhythm, loose but not slow, tight but not chaotic, static in motion, free in static, and moving in motion. "Body rhyme" means that the strength of training dancers is not uniform, but there should be contrast and difference between lightness, urgency, length, frustration, symbolic point, segmentation and extension. These rhythm symbols are all expressed by human actions, which is the application of truly mastering and understanding "strength". "Strength" not only runs through the process of action, but also is very important at the end of the action. No matter China traditional opera, ballet or martial arts routines, they all attach great importance to the instantaneous rhythm before the end of the action, and China classical dance is no exception. It has the following typical appearance strength: "inch strength"-posture, angle and orientation are all ready, and the strength between one inch is used to "make the finishing point". "Contrast"-give a strong reaction to the posture modeling that is coming to an end, so as to strengthen and contrast the final modeling. "God's power"-everything has been completed, and the sense of extension of eyes and limbs makes it "the shape has stopped but God has not stopped". In addition, there are strength differences such as "softness in rigidity", "brittleness in toughness" and "slowness in urgency".

4. Law

The word "law" contains two meanings: the rhythm of oneself in action and the law followed in movement. Generally speaking, after the action, it must be "smooth", which is the "positive law" in the law, and the action seems to have a feeling of flowing through "smooth". Anti-French is also a very important factor in the rhythm of classical dance, such as "double waving". When the arm swings to the left, the body must be pulled to the right to show the roundness and charm of the action. The "anti-law" of "if it doesn't go well" can have a surprising effect. The trend of an action and momentum is obviously to the left, suddenly to the right, or from front to back, and so on. This kind of "anti-law" is unique to classical dance, which can produce ever-changing, confusing and ever-changing movements of the human body. From every specific movement, there is also a saying that "everything starts from the opposite side", that is, "everything must be done from the left, everything must be done from the left, everything must be done from the opening, and everything must be done from the front". It is these special laws that produce the special aesthetics of classical dance. Whether it's smooth sailing at one stroke, facing fortune or "starting from the opposite side", it embodies the beauty of China classical dance, which is the essence of China's "dancing method".

3. The characteristics of classical dance body rhyme course

The appearance of body rhyme, as an important teaching achievement of China classical dance, makes the training of China classical dance move towards its own form standardization and dance diversification. It is not only a complete training system, but also a system integrating training, creation and performance with the aesthetic characteristics of China classical dance. As far as the current teaching is concerned, the understanding of the role and value of the charm of classical dance should be said to be in a vague state in concept and has not been corrected in teaching.