Performing Arts of China

Performing Arts of China-Music-Dance-Opera-Instruments

Dance is an important part of Chinese culture and is used to entertain as well as to mark special occasions, it is a key ingredient of Chinese opera which is really an all round dramatic event involving sections of speech, music, acrobatics and pantomime

The main festivals of dance are New Year celebrations, the lion dance and the dragon’s dance other dances are the waist dance performed with drums and the fan dance performed by girls to entertain the emperor

Traditional opera was performed by travelling troupes and could last for many days.

Each opera would tell a popular story.The makeup and extremely elaborate costumes would tell the audience the types of characters played.

Popular characters were warriors, clowns, Gods and lovers.

The stage setup was simple with only a painted backdrop. The performer’s movements were symbolic.

Music from a variety of instruments played by an orchestra would accompany the performance.

The earliest known instruments are clay, ocarinas, small round egg shaped flutes, stone chimes, sets of bronze bells and drums. Playing a Guqin, picture, the most revered instrument.

The worlds first musical scale was created about 2700 BCE using bamboo pipes; it consisted of 12 notes that mimicked the sounds of the phoenix bird

Leather wood stone and metal are all used for making instruments; there are also bamboo flutes and fiddles with silk strings.

Shadow puppets made of wood and paper and usually tell stories of gods, heroes and traditional tales of folklore and date to 100 BCE.

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