| In the history of China, the most prosperous period for dance was the T'ang dynasty (A.D. 618-907). The art of dance of the T'ang dynasty was nurtured and influenced by the cultures of the Chinese minority nationalities and of foreign countries during the dynasties preceding T'ang. The cultural background of dance from the earliest dynasty to the T'ang dynasty and the cultural influence on the common dance in the T'ang dynasty are investigated. The cultural aspects include: history, politics, philosophies, aesthetic concepts and prominent dances of the period. A sample dance "Playing the P'i-p'a on the Back" from the film Rain of Flowers on the Silk Road, a reconstructed T'ang dance drama is selected for analysis. The analysis system used is based on Labanotation, Laban Movement analysis and an analysis method designed by the author. The findings provide information for choreography of Chinese dance and broaden the vocabulary of movements in oriental dance. |
