Chinese Dance
I. Dragon Dance is a form of traditional dance and performance in Chinese culture. Like the lion dance it is most often seen in festive celebrations.
A. Descendants of the Dragon is often used by Chinese people as a sign of ethnic identity as a part of a trend started in the 1970s however the true form is the descendants of Shennong, the legendary first king of the Chinese people who taught them agriculture, law and medicine and the foundations of civilization.
1. In the dance, a team of people carry the dragon which is an image of the dragon on poles. The dance team can be composed of as many as fifty people.
a. The movement of the dragon is similar to the movement of a river and demonstrates power and dignity.
1. The dragon dance is a highlight of Chinese New Year celebration held worldwide in Chinatowns around the world.
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B. The Dragon Dance itself originated during the Han Dynasty.
1. The origins of the Dragon combines stylized depictions of natural animals and evolved to become a mythical creature revered in Chinese culture. Its form includes the horns of a stage, ears of a bull, eyes of a rabbit, claws of a tiger and the scales of a fish all on a long serpents body. These traits were believed to give the dragon the ability to move on land, fly through the air and swim in the sea.
2. It is often called the sacred Dragon and the emperors of ancient China considered themselves to be dragons.
3. The Dragon is also the emblem of Imperial Authority and it symbolized supernatural power, goodness, fertility, vigilance and dignity.
C. Dragons for the Dragon Dance can range in length from around 25 to 35 meters and up to 50 to 70 meters for the largest parade and ceremonial styles. Part of the myth holds that the longer the creature the more luck it will bring, although the smaller dragons are used for the more acrobatic display. The average size of a
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dragon is 112 feet or 34 meters and is divided into nine major sections and the body has 81 rings.
1. Green is sometimes selected as the main color of the dragon which symbolized a great harvest. Other colors include yellow symbolizing a solemn empire, golden or silver colors symbolizing prosperity, red color representing excitement while its scales and tail are mostly beautiful silver colors and glittering at all times providing a feeling of joyous atmosphere
2. A double dragon dance is rarely seen in Western culture and involved two troupes of dancers who intertwine the dragons.
3. Performers in a dragon dance team use several elements and skill and it is a cross-over activity combining the training and mentality of a sports team with stagecraft and the flair of a performing arts troupe..
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