Shenyun·Artistic Conception·Life

'Chinese Classic Dance' is an outstanding part of Chinese Dance in the contemporary era. It was entrusted with the specialties of aesthetics by the given historical and cultural background, and also, by the influence of the traditional folk dance arts. 'Shenyun', which means the lingering charm of dancers' posture, is the typical aesthetic form of Chinese dancing arts. This article tries to find out the aesthetic characteristics of Chinese Classic Dance, and to pay attention to the effects on which 'Shenyun' has tried to make in Chinese dancing arts. The main part of this article is about the ways of looking for the artistic spirit of Chinese Dance from traditional Chinese cultural background, 'the theory that man is an integral part of nature'. From this, we can find out the artistic spirit and cultural connotation in the difference of manifestation between Chinese and Western Classic Dance. From the point of view of aesthetics of dance and the life consciousness, the importance of aesthetic creation in dance can be discovered, and the aesthetic interests in Chinese dance as well. The last part of this article is further to discuss that how to display the artistic characteristics of Chinese Classic Dance in the circumstances of globalization. The contradiction and the harmony lie on 'classic' and 'modern' thoughts, which exist on the development of Chinese Classic Dance. In its ways of facing the coexistence of challenges and opportunities, Chinese Classic Dance should stress out the characteristics and the creative points so as to build up the theories of Chinese dancing arts development.