Ribbon Dance Research Paper
China was the most influential country, and it still is today. It is one of the most populated countries. Many explorers travel around the world to find China so they could trade and learn about their culture and dance. The Chinese influenced many countries with its tradition and culture. The Chinese traditional dance has been very popular since the Han dynasty and the Chinese traditional dances are a part of the rich Chinese culture traditions. One of the many Chinese traditional dances passed on from many generations is the Chinese ribbon dance. With the long colorful ribbons, the ribbon dance shows grace and elegance. This dance captivates everyone who watches the performance with its precise rhythmic movement. The ribbon dance has a very symbolic meaning, with legends of how this dance got started, the changes made to this dance over time and when and who it is performed for. These elements are all a part
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of the historic development of the traditional ribbon dance. The Chinese ribbon dance originated around the 4th millennium BC, during the Han dynasty, along with many other traditional dances. However, there is some evidence that shows this type of ribbon dance style existed before the Han dynasty. The Chinese ribbon dance is also called Cai Dai Wu Dao. The dance was only performed in front of the royal family. There are multiple legends explaining how this dance and outfit were created. One legend says that this dance started because of a man, and in another legend, because of a dream. According to the first legend, the outfit the women wore while performing the ribbon dance was the Chinese silk traditional dress with long silk sleeves in remembrance of how the man saved the emperor. The other legend claims the dance was because of the emperor's dream. The ribbon dance was created to imitate Hsiang Po, a Chinese hero who saved the emperor with his silk fabric sleeves. The legend took place during the Han dynasty. An assassin attempted to kill the emperor, but Hsiang Po used his sleeve and blocked the assassin's sword. This was the legend of how the ribbon dance was started. In remembrance of Hsiang Po, the Han dynasty people designed a sleeve dance to show their dedication and gratitude towards him. The ribbon dance was dedicated in remembrance of what Hsiang Po did. The Han people showed their respect and honor towards him by creating this dance. The dancers held short ribbons while performing. The ribbons represent the sleeve of Hsiang Po. This was the legend of the ribbon dance. Another interesting legend took place during the Tang dynasty. Emperor Tang Ming Hwon ruled China and he had a dream that he was in the moon palace, surrounded by many fairies dancing, singing and wearing beautiful, colorful long robes. His dreamed turned into a dance using long silk ribbons. This legend is not as famous as Hsiang Po’s legend. Many people think that ribbon dance started during the Tang dynasty, while others believe the Han dynasty. This is the reason for the two separate legends of how ribbon dance started. Even though the ribbon dance was created during the Han dynasty, the dance was very popular during the Tang dynasty.
The Tang dynasty was the golden age of art and dance in the history of China and the ribbon dance also reached the maximum height of its popularity; art and dance started to flourish when China experienced a renaissance. The Tang dynasty was also the time when the ribbon dance evolved. They changed from short ribbons to ribbons that ranged from five to twelve feet and were attached to a plastic or wooden stick, creating beautiful movements. The ribbons were also changed to bright colors and many dancers used the color red. The color red symbolizes happiness and luck for the Chinese. The music during the Tang dynasty had a pronounced beat and strong melody. Many people studied the motion and the movement of the dances, which led to many more variations of the ribbons to give off emotions that the ribbon portraits. During this period, the ribbon dance was only danced for the emperor and his family. This shows how extravagant the ribbon dance
is.
As the dance became more famous, the dance developed a meaning behind it. The ribbon dance was to merge the body and the psyche, and to show happiness and elegance. With its choreography of steps, jumps and using the ribbon to form images, this dance is practically a poetic traditional dance. The dance expresses freedom and liberty and represents the history of the Chinese people. The ribbon dance became more developed and the ribbons became a symbol. When dancing, the ribbons’ movement symbolizes different parts of the story. Each wave had a different meaning. The slow wave was known as a rainbow and the small, hopping movements of the ribbon that produced a ripple was symbolized as a rushing river. Every movement the ribbon creates, the dancers put their emotion, spirit and hearts into the dance. Even the color of the ribbon represented different things. The dark and light green ribbons were a dragon. Through time, the dance was more developed and performed with emotion and passion.
The clothing that women wore were really similar to emperor Tang Ming Wong's vision. They were flowy clothing with long silk robes. The women were dressed like Chinese fairies. The flowiness of the dress allows the dancers to jump, run and skip. The dress was made out of thin silk cloth. The silk ribbon was either the long sleeve or it was connected to a stick. The clothing also corresponded with Confucian moral conduct. The long sleeves and the long robes were to cover the entire body from sunlight. The instruments used during the Tang dynasty to accompany with the dance were the Erhu and Pipa. The Erhu is a kind of violin, but it only has two strings. It was built during the Tang Dynasty. The Pipa is a Chinese lute or guitar. It has four strings, and it is one of the oldest Chinese instruments. These instruments gave the music a refreshing and poetic mood. Music was influenced by Confucius; he gave rules and taught people what good traditional music was. The music started to change and some of the music used was incorporated from outside of China into the ribbon dance, but Chinese traditional music was still used for many dances. One of the Chinese traditional music is called lotus. Music is very important for the dancers because they need to be synchronized with the beat of the music. The large flowing movements were followed by slow music, while the fast music were accompanied with sharp movements, like flicking the ribbon or snapping movements. Chinese traditional dance was passed on to other parts of the world. The Chinese culture influenced their neighbors as well. Hundreds of young students, men and women from Korea and Japan went to the Academy of the Pear Garden. The Academy trained students in Chinese dance and music. There is evidence from Tang poets, who wrote the ribbon dance as the rainbow skirt, and they described how the dancer used long silk sleeves to do gestures. Many Western dances were also influenced by the Chinese dances, like acrobatics and gymnastics. The Chinese ribbon dance started to fade because of foot binding, which caused women to bind their feet, barely allowing them to walk. The dances were no longer performed because it was women who danced the ribbon dance. During this period, most of the folk dances started to fade. Men started to take over the dance performances during the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties. Then Western style dances made its way into China, causing a big influence on traditional dances. In the 19th century, dancing was banned to increase production. Then in the Communist Era, most of the dances were lost due to these influence and causes. The Chinese traditional ribbon dance is still performed today. This dance has faced a long history and it is amazing how this dance survived the past 5,000 years despite the many obstacles and many outside influences. The dancers are still women and they wear flowy long Chinese traditional dresses with two long ribbons connected to sticks. During the Tang dynasty, the ribbon dance was only performed in front of royal people. Now this dance brings everyone together to watch. It is performed in front of everyone and you do not have to be royal to watch it. Today this dance is very popular among the common people, and it is performed during cultural festivals in China, like Chinese New Year, Moon festival and more. The ribbon dance performance is not only in China but is all over the world. There are many schools that teach this traditional Chinese dance. The teachings allow this traditional Chinese dance to still exist today.
of the historic development of the traditional ribbon dance. The Chinese ribbon dance originated around the 4th millennium BC, during the Han dynasty, along with many other traditional dances. However, there is some evidence that shows this type of ribbon dance style existed before the Han dynasty. The Chinese ribbon dance is also called Cai Dai Wu Dao. The dance was only performed in front of the royal family. There are multiple legends explaining how this dance and outfit were created. One legend says that this dance started because of a man, and in another legend, because of a dream. According to the first legend, the outfit the women wore while performing the ribbon dance was the Chinese silk traditional dress with long silk sleeves in remembrance of how the man saved the emperor. The other legend claims the dance was because of the emperor's dream. The ribbon dance was created to imitate Hsiang Po, a Chinese hero who saved the emperor with his silk fabric sleeves. The legend took place during the Han dynasty. An assassin attempted to kill the emperor, but Hsiang Po used his sleeve and blocked the assassin's sword. This was the legend of how the ribbon dance was started. In remembrance of Hsiang Po, the Han dynasty people designed a sleeve dance to show their dedication and gratitude towards him. The ribbon dance was dedicated in remembrance of what Hsiang Po did. The Han people showed their respect and honor towards him by creating this dance. The dancers held short ribbons while performing. The ribbons represent the sleeve of Hsiang Po. This was the legend of the ribbon dance. Another interesting legend took place during the Tang dynasty. Emperor Tang Ming Hwon ruled China and he had a dream that he was in the moon palace, surrounded by many fairies dancing, singing and wearing beautiful, colorful long robes. His dreamed turned into a dance using long silk ribbons. This legend is not as famous as Hsiang Po’s legend. Many people think that ribbon dance started during the Tang dynasty, while others believe the Han dynasty. This is the reason for the two separate legends of how ribbon dance started. Even though the ribbon dance was created during the Han dynasty, the dance was very popular during the Tang dynasty.
The Tang dynasty was the golden age of art and dance in the history of China and the ribbon dance also reached the maximum height of its popularity; art and dance started to flourish when China experienced a renaissance. The Tang dynasty was also the time when the ribbon dance evolved. They changed from short ribbons to ribbons that ranged from five to twelve feet and were attached to a plastic or wooden stick, creating beautiful movements. The ribbons were also changed to bright colors and many dancers used the color red. The color red symbolizes happiness and luck for the Chinese. The music during the Tang dynasty had a pronounced beat and strong melody. Many people studied the motion and the movement of the dances, which led to many more variations of the ribbons to give off emotions that the ribbon portraits. During this period, the ribbon dance was only danced for the emperor and his family. This shows how extravagant the ribbon dance
is.
As the dance became more famous, the dance developed a meaning behind it. The ribbon dance was to merge the body and the psyche, and to show happiness and elegance. With its choreography of steps, jumps and using the ribbon to form images, this dance is practically a poetic traditional dance. The dance expresses freedom and liberty and represents the history of the Chinese people. The ribbon dance became more developed and the ribbons became a symbol. When dancing, the ribbons’ movement symbolizes different parts of the story. Each wave had a different meaning. The slow wave was known as a rainbow and the small, hopping movements of the ribbon that produced a ripple was symbolized as a rushing river. Every movement the ribbon creates, the dancers put their emotion, spirit and hearts into the dance. Even the color of the ribbon represented different things. The dark and light green ribbons were a dragon. Through time, the dance was more developed and performed with emotion and passion.
The clothing that women wore were really similar to emperor Tang Ming Wong's vision. They were flowy clothing with long silk robes. The women were dressed like Chinese fairies. The flowiness of the dress allows the dancers to jump, run and skip. The dress was made out of thin silk cloth. The silk ribbon was either the long sleeve or it was connected to a stick. The clothing also corresponded with Confucian moral conduct. The long sleeves and the long robes were to cover the entire body from sunlight. The instruments used during the Tang dynasty to accompany with the dance were the Erhu and Pipa. The Erhu is a kind of violin, but it only has two strings. It was built during the Tang Dynasty. The Pipa is a Chinese lute or guitar. It has four strings, and it is one of the oldest Chinese instruments. These instruments gave the music a refreshing and poetic mood. Music was influenced by Confucius; he gave rules and taught people what good traditional music was. The music started to change and some of the music used was incorporated from outside of China into the ribbon dance, but Chinese traditional music was still used for many dances. One of the Chinese traditional music is called lotus. Music is very important for the dancers because they need to be synchronized with the beat of the music. The large flowing movements were followed by slow music, while the fast music were accompanied with sharp movements, like flicking the ribbon or snapping movements. Chinese traditional dance was passed on to other parts of the world. The Chinese culture influenced their neighbors as well. Hundreds of young students, men and women from Korea and Japan went to the Academy of the Pear Garden. The Academy trained students in Chinese dance and music. There is evidence from Tang poets, who wrote the ribbon dance as the rainbow skirt, and they described how the dancer used long silk sleeves to do gestures. Many Western dances were also influenced by the Chinese dances, like acrobatics and gymnastics. The Chinese ribbon dance started to fade because of foot binding, which caused women to bind their feet, barely allowing them to walk. The dances were no longer performed because it was women who danced the ribbon dance. During this period, most of the folk dances started to fade. Men started to take over the dance performances during the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties. Then Western style dances made its way into China, causing a big influence on traditional dances. In the 19th century, dancing was banned to increase production. Then in the Communist Era, most of the dances were lost due to these influence and causes. The Chinese traditional ribbon dance is still performed today. This dance has faced a long history and it is amazing how this dance survived the past 5,000 years despite the many obstacles and many outside influences. The dancers are still women and they wear flowy long Chinese traditional dresses with two long ribbons connected to sticks. During the Tang dynasty, the ribbon dance was only performed in front of royal people. Now this dance brings everyone together to watch. It is performed in front of everyone and you do not have to be royal to watch it. Today this dance is very popular among the common people, and it is performed during cultural festivals in China, like Chinese New Year, Moon festival and more. The ribbon dance performance is not only in China but is all over the world. There are many schools that teach this traditional Chinese dance. The teachings allow this traditional Chinese dance to still exist today.