"Chinese Dance Chronicle: Anhui Volume

Author: Editorial Committee of "The History of Chinese Dance"
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2000-12-01
Features: Dance, as an important component of Chinese civilization, has a long history. Through gradual accumulation, it has eventually formed the vast ocean it is today. Over the long course of time, it has sometimes been like clear ripples, but also like turbulent currents. However, it has always flowed forward, unrestrainedly across the land of China, moving towards the future. Dance was an integral part of what the ancients called "music." They believed: "Poetry expresses thoughts and emotions, singing gives them voice, and dance portrays their external form. All three originate from the human heart, followed by instrumental music." Music thus encompasses the elements of poetry, singing, and dance. This ancient art was originally a unified whole, indistinguishable and chaotic at its inception. What modern people call poetry, music, and dance only gradually evolved through a long developmental process. As one of the series of "The History of Chinese Dance," "The History of Chinese Dance in Anhui" introduces in detail the content, forms, styles, schools, evolutionary characteristics, and related customs of folk dance in Anhui. China is vast and home to numerous ethnic groups, with complex and diverse ecological environments and cultural traditions, as well as an uneven historical development process. These factors have painted a magnificent and richly colored picture of China's musical and dance culture. In this book, you can appreciate the graceful charm of Anhui dance and feel the greatness of Chinese dance as the crystallization of the wisdom and spirit of the entire Chinese nation. The book is divided into several parts: overview, brief records, historical relics, biographies, and charts, systematically documenting the history, current state, content, forms, styles, evolutionary characteristics, as well as related seasonal customs and rituals of ethnic and folk dance in Anhui.