Ancient Chinese Dance Chronicle

Author: Wang Kefen
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-03-01
Features: In 1956, the Research Group for the History of Ancient Chinese Dance was established by the China Dance Art Research Association, with Ouyang Yuqian serving as the artistic director. Under his responsible guidance, research on dance history began. In the old era, there were no favorable conditions at all for dance history research. However, during the socialist period, in just over twenty years, despite about a decade of interference from the "Gang of Four," a book of this caliber was successfully written—a truly commendable achievement. The book covers a comprehensive range of textual materials and includes abundant visual resources. Moreover, grounded in practical dance experience, it offers a relatively detailed understanding of these materials. The outlines of the development of dance history have been broadly outlined; the living foundation of dance has been identified; the distinction between children's dance and dance as a component of traditional opera has been clarified; and the common contributions of various ethnic groups in China to dance art have been introduced preliminarily. These aspects are commendable. Of course, the study of dance history itself is an ongoing historical process. Certain achievements can be expected in specific periods, and neither excessively high expectations nor complacency should be encouraged. Readers should not hold a work from a particular period to perfection, nor should the author feel overly satisfied with temporary accomplishments. It can be believed that this book will play a certain role in the movement, will be well-received, and will also provoke criticism. As time progresses, the same field of research will continue to improve.