Dream of the Past: Ancient Chinese Court Dances

Ancient court dances are one of the long-lost treasures of China. Resplendent, exquisite and ceremonious, they showcase not only China’s aesthetic achievement in the art of dancing but also her traditional culture in rite, music, etiquette, costume, poetry and song. To recover these hidden riches, Hong Kong Dance Company joins forces with the Classical Dance Department of Beijing Dance Academy to present Dream of the Past: Ancient Chinese Court Dances. The performance recreates, with extensive reference to archaeological archives, a representative collection of Chinese court dances from different times:  

“Chu-style Waist Dancing” is a ritualistic dance of China’s pre-imperial period that bespeaks the admiration people had for slim waists before the 3rd century BCE. “Spring Excursion”, a female group dance of the 3rd to 6th century, portrays the charm of ancient beauties in their excursion, while “Duke Xie’s Shoes”, a male social dance from similar period, pictures a social gathering of eminent literati at that time. “Imperial Guards” manifests the chivalry and vigour of the palace guards of the Han dynasty, while “Maid of Honour with Fan” narrates the lives of highborn maidens of the Qing dynasty. “Small Victory Dance”, a dance trio of the Tang dynasty choreographed by the famous royal couple Emperor Xuanzong and Consort Yang Yuhuan, unveils the heroic bearing of the Tang armoured women.