About the book
The History and Appreciation of Chinese Dances is a comprehensive textbook on the general history of Chinese dance, designed specifically for university students and graduate majors in dance. The book is organized into fourteen chapters. Each chapter begins with a thorough exposition of historical theories and knowledge, followed by a dedicated “Appreciation of Works” section. These sections provide brief critical reviews of contemporary dance works that relate to the historical content of the chapter, effectively bridging the gap between ancient dance history and modern dance practice while stimulating the reader’s imagination. At the end of each chapter, “Thought and Exercise” questions help instructors highlight key points and assist students in mastering the most important and challenging material.
To emphasize the professional character of dance as an art form, the book includes over three hundred carefully selected dance images, making the content more vivid and intuitive. Covering dance from ancient times through successive dynasties to the present day, the text respects established academic conclusions while appropriately incorporating new theoretical insights. For example, the book delves into the dance traditions of the Yellow Emperor’s tribal confederation, including the famous Cloud Gate Great Scroll (Yunmen Dajuan), also known as Cheng Yun or Xianchi. This dance was the first piece in the “Six Dances” of the early Zhou dynasty, created to praise the Yellow Emperor’s achievements — his creation of all things, uniting of the people, and virtue as abundant as clouds. The book traces the origins of such dances as totemic rituals, drawing on legends from classical texts such as Zhuangzi and Han Feizi, and even links them to later military music and the Chiyou Dance (a horned dance still reflected in the silver bull horn ornaments of Miao women today). Archaeological materials — pottery and rock paintings — are also examined, with appreciations of notable works such as the Dance Pattern Painted Pottery Basin, the Huashan Rock Paintings in Guangxi, and the grand musical Luoyue Shenyun.
This textbook is an indispensable resource for students, teachers, and researchers of Chinese dance, as well as for anyone interested in the intersection of performing arts, archaeology, and ancient Chinese culture. By connecting legendary origins, ritual practices, and contemporary choreography, The History and Appreciation of Chinese Dances offers a holistic and deeply engaging journey through China’s rich and continuous dance heritage.
About the author
Feng Shuangbai is one of China’s most distinguished dance theorists, critics, and screenwriters. Born in Changchun, Jilin Province in 1954, he graduated from the Department of Chinese Language and Literature at Peking University. Influenced by the aesthetician Zhu Guangqian’s famous advice — “Do not talk about art without mastering one art” — Feng pursued graduate studies at the Chinese Academy of Arts, earning a master’s degree in 1985 and later a doctorate in art. He currently serves as Vice Chairman and Party Secretary of the China Dancers Association and as a doctoral supervisor at the Chinese Academy of Arts. He has also served as a teacher of “Introduction to Art” at the Beijing Dance Academy and deputy editor in chief of the journal Dance Art. Over his long career, Feng has created numerous dance dramas, including Gulimei, Ma Le Visits the Horizon, Water Margin, Jade Bird, Shaolin in the Wind, Mulan, and Sisters on the Stage. He has also played a key role as a planner and judge for CCTV’s “Dance World” column and the “CCTV TV Dance Competition.”
Feng Shuangbai’s scholarly output is vast and highly respected. His major academic works include History of Dance in New China, History of Dance in the Song, Liao, Jin and Western Xia Dynasties, Outline of the History of Modern and Contemporary Dance in China, How to Appreciate Dance, Outline of the History of Chinese Dance Drama, and the co authored Illustrated History of Ancient Chinese Dance. These works have received widespread attention and praise for filling critical gaps in dance research. Feng places great emphasis on combining historical theory with practical creation. He has conducted extensive fieldwork — during Spring Festivals he investigated rural folk art in Beijing, and he has studied the dance traditions of Uighurs in Xinjiang, Li people in Hainan, and minority groups in Yunnan, as well as the folk dances of Tibetan, Tu, and Salar peoples on the Qinghai Tibet Plateau. In his book History of Dance in New China, Feng traces the evolution of Chinese dance from 1949 to the present, offering both a scholarly record and a passionate defense of dance as a vital expression of Chinese culture. For students, teachers, and practitioners of dance, Feng Shuangbai is an indispensable guide to understanding China’s rich and continuous dance heritage.
About the translator
