Dunhuang dance
{{Short description|Chinese dance style}}
{{Infobox Chinese
| c = 敦煌舞
| p = Dūnhuáng wǔ
| l = Dunhuang dance
| pic = Dunhuang mural flying apsarasa.jpg
| piccap = Dunhuang mural flying apsarasa
}}
Dunhuang Dance is a form of Chinese dance which combines traditional culture and modern art.{{Cite book|last=Yang|first=Jia|title=Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Contemporary Education, Social Sciences and Humanities (ICCESSH 2017) |chapter=Analysis on Cultural Characteristics and Art Development of Dunhuang Dance Art |date=2017|location=Paris, France|publisher=Atlantis Press|doi=10.2991/iccessh-17.2017.110|isbn=978-94-6252-351-7 |doi-access=free}} Dunhuang dance draws inspiration from the body movements in the Dunhuang grotto frescoes (such as in the Mogao caves), and the musical instruments and music scores found in Dunhuang, Gansu province, West China.{{cite book |title=Body as medium of meaning |last=Shahshahānī |first=Suhaylā |pages=72–86 |year=2004 |publisher=LIT Verlag |isbn=978-3-8258-7154-3 }}{{Cite book|date=2016|others=Ming Chen; Sandra Parks; Jake McNeill; Stella Xu; Kennesaw State University.|title=The heritage of Chinese culture and dance. Classical dance : Dunhuang|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/964534193|url-status=live|via=Worldcat|oclc=964534193 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211225214039/https://www.worldcat.org/title/heritage-of-chinese-culture-and-dance-classical-dance-dunhuang/oclc/964534193 |archive-date=2021-12-25 }}{{Cite web|date=2021|title=A DANCE OF DUNHUANG|url=https://www.esplanade.com/offstage/arts/huayi-a-dance-of-dunhuang|access-date=2021-12-25|website=www.esplanade.com}} The dance shows the combination of ethnic dance styles from Central and Western China.{{Cite web|title=Dance Drama Celebrates Dunhuang Culture|url=http://en.chinaculture.org/focus/focus/cities/2010-07/09/content_385146.htm|access-date=2021-12-25|website=en.chinaculture.org}} The dance, itself, is also influenced by Buddhist images and Buddhism.
Sources of inspiration
The Mogao grottoes in Dunhuang houses several form of fine arts such as dance and music.{{Cite book|last=Yang|first=Jia|title=Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Contemporary Education, Social Sciences and Humanities (ICCESSH 2017) |chapter=Analysis on Cultural Characteristics and Art Development of Dunhuang Dance Art |date=2017|location=Paris, France|publisher=Atlantis Press|doi=10.2991/iccessh-17.2017.110|isbn=978-94-6252-351-7 |doi-access=free}} It is filled with many dance images which inspired modern dance artists in China.{{Cite book|last=Yang|first=Jia|title=Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Contemporary Education, Social Sciences and Humanities (ICCESSH 2017) |chapter=Analysis on Cultural Characteristics and Art Development of Dunhuang Dance Art |date=2017|location=Paris, France|publisher=Atlantis Press|doi=10.2991/iccessh-17.2017.110|isbn=978-94-6252-351-7 |doi-access=free}} Images of flying apsaras (Feitian) from the grottoes are also a source of inspiration.{{Cite book|last=Yang|first=Jia|title=Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Contemporary Education, Social Sciences and Humanities (ICCESSH 2017) |chapter=Analysis on Cultural Characteristics and Art Development of Dunhuang Dance Art |date=2017|location=Paris, France|publisher=Atlantis Press|doi=10.2991/iccessh-17.2017.110|isbn=978-94-6252-351-7 |doi-access=free}}
List of Dunhuang dances
= Thousand Hand Guan Yin =
It is a contemporary creation produced by the Chinese choreographer Zhang Jigang.{{Cite book|date=2016|others=Ming Chen; Sandra Parks; Jake McNeill; Stella Xu; Kennesaw State University.|title=The heritage of Chinese culture and dance. Classical dance : Dunhuang|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/964534193|url-status=live|via=Worldcat|oclc=964534193 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211225214039/https://www.worldcat.org/title/heritage-of-chinese-culture-and-dance-classical-dance-dunhuang/oclc/964534193 |archive-date=2021-12-25 }} It was performed by the China Disabled Performing Art Troupe in which the group dancers are hearing-impaired.{{Cite book|date=2016|others=Ming Chen; Sandra Parks; Jake McNeill; Stella Xu; Kennesaw State University.|title=The heritage of Chinese culture and dance. Classical dance : Dunhuang|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/964534193|url-status=live|via=Worldcat|oclc=964534193 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211225214039/https://www.worldcat.org/title/heritage-of-chinese-culture-and-dance-classical-dance-dunhuang/oclc/964534193 |archive-date=2021-12-25 }}
File:Flickr - archer10 (Dennis) - China-7315.jpg|Modern choreography Thousand hand Guanyin
Other depictions in media
- Rain of Flowers Along the Silk Road, a dance drama presented in Beijing on May 23, 1979 by the Gansu Dunhuang Art Academy of China. {{Cite web|title=Dance Drama Celebrates Dunhuang Culture|url=http://en.chinaculture.org/focus/focus/cities/2010-07/09/content_385146.htm|access-date=2021-12-25|website=en.chinaculture.org}}
Gallery
File:DunhuangHistorisierendeTanzaufführung.jpg|Dunhuang dance
File:Mogao Caves Pipa-Player.jpg|A pipa player playing with the pipa behind his back. Dunhuang, Mogao Caves.
File:Bird of Life (共命鸟), playing a pipa, with dancer playing drum.jpg|China, mid-Tang Dynasty. Artwork from the Dunhuang Grottos, Yulin Cave number 25 showing a Bird of Life, playing a pipa, with a dancer playing drum
File:Sogdian whirl with large pipa.jpg|Buddhist cave art, a dancer spins while the orchestra plays. Grotto 46 Left interior wall, second panel. Also called cave 112.
File:Dunhuang Mogao Caves Dancer.jpg|Cave 220 “Hu xuan” dancer in mural from Mogao.