History of Animal Shows

Author: Wei Minghua
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-05-01
Features: Animals fight to display strength, birds spread their plumage to show beauty, and insects compete to demonstrate charm. From the outset, humans have been immersed in this vivid artistic baptism bestowed by nature—on the plains, in the forests, and in the valleys. Therefore, a history of animal performances must begin with the wild dance, the ancient carnival, and the imitation of animals by humans. Imitating nature, learning from nature—this is the origin of art and the dawn of civilization. On one hand, I express great admiration for the animal trainers of all generations, for without them, there would be no history of animal performances, and human civilization would be incomplete. On the other hand, I show deep respect for the contemporary animal protectors, for without them, there would be no rethinking of the history of animal performances, and human civilization would again be incomplete.
"Animal performances" is an art form at the fringes of society. Some classify it within the history of acrobatics, while others consider it a mere appendage to the history of theater. This book treats it as an independent cultural phenomenon for exploration. The book summarizes five stages of the history of animal performances:
1. The initial stage, characterized by animals entertaining themselves and humans beginning to imitate and domesticate animals.
2. The large-scale stage, primarily performed in the courts of the Han and Tang dynasties, featuring the combat of beasts, with grandeur and brutality as its aesthetic focus.
3. The medium-scale stage, taking the bustling streets of the Song and Yuan dynasties as its venue, highlighting the competition of birds and animals, with elegance and approachability as the motivation for appreciation.
4. The small-scale stage, set against the backdrop of the Ming and Qing dynasties' wandering world, focusing on the skills of insects and amphibians in vocal battles, with the characteristic of being scattered and rarely performing.
5. The current state and reflections on animal performances.
This book aims to systematically discuss the development of animal performance art while prompting people to reconsider civilization: What truly is civilization? Is conquering animals civilization, or is liberating animals civilization?