Xian in North West China, known once as Chang’an was the starting point of the famous Silk Route and served as the capital of China for 13 dynasties, from 1046 BCE until 907 CE. Dances and cultural activities here were part of the system of court music and dance while some were part of religious rituals. Dance and music also celebrated nature by imitating bird song and incorporating animal and bird movement in dance. Great military and civil achievements were celebrated with stylized versions of the actual event and featured dance and music. Lively folk dances were also very much a part of the culture and were sometimes preferred to the staid movements of court dances. Dances were performed by courtiers, shamans, slaves and professional dancers. During the Tang Dynasty theater reached new heights. Musicians, dancers and actors were professionally trained and the imperial court had thousands of performers. During this period dance forms from Persia, India, Korea, Central Asia and various parts of China were incorporated into dances performed at court.
Current traditional dance performances in Xiang are mostly based on Tang Dynasty dances. Performances usually include an introduction to Tang Dynasty musical instruments that are no longer in use. Imitating the sounds of orioles in spring is one of the masterpieces that were very much a part of the musical tradition of the time which is still performed with great virtuosity. A popular dance is the Rainbow Costume Dance where the costumes are similar to one found on a Tang Dynasty wall mural and the dance itself has been choreographed according to historic descriptions. Another dance that displays fluid ethereal movement of female dancers is said to be similar to one performed by the dancer Yang Gui Fei who was the favourite concubine of a Tang emperor. Warrior dances performed today are based on military victories and maneuvers of the time. Vigorous folk dances that have been passed on for generations are also very much a part of traditional cultural performances in Xiang. Dances to chase off evil spirits and ghosts and foster well being go back several centuries when dance forms were first recorded. Other popular cultural dance forms in Xiang include the dragon and lion dances that have histories going back to the Han Dynasty. The lion dance performed in and around Xian have its own brightly coloured costumes and differ from the lion dance performed elsewhere in China.
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Thanuja Silva is a travel writer who writes under the pen name Auburn Silver. She has a passion for fashion and a deep interest in admiring new and exotic attractions around the world. Google+
