Chinese classical dance 中国古典舞蹈
From the very beginning of the establishment of the Shanghai Opera House, there was a clear goal of “taking the Bolshoi Theatre as a model”. The world-famous treasure of the Bolshoi Theatre is its classical dance ballet, which is on the top of the world. So, what is our Chinese classic, Chinese classical dance? No one knows. So the existence of classical dance in China has become a question.
In 1975, a painted pottery basin was unearthed in Qinghai. (Note) Originally, a painted pottery basin was unearthed in China, but this basin caused a great sensation, because a group of five people painted on its inner wall was dancing hand in hand. It was determined that this basin was 5000-5800 years ago, which was the legendary Yan and Huang period. It clearly confirms the record in ancient books that people in the Yan and Huang era often “stayed on the ground, sang and danced with their arms”.
Following the vines, I found that China is a country that loves dancing very much. There have been many climaxes of dance prosperity. For example, the concubine Yang, Zhao Feiyan, and the standing performers in the Han and Tang Dynasties, such as the emperor Li Longji and the minister An Lushan, can also end in great dance special dances. Famous for dancing. Emperor Minghuang also ran the earliest dance school in the world. But, where is it now? By the beginning of the twentieth century, the grand occasions of that year had passed away and had long since ceased to exist. As the feudal Zizhu became more and more tightened, the free release of emotions has become a forbidden zone, and this phenomenon has long since no room for existence. In a poor and weak China, the country’s splendid dance culture is on the verge of being lost. Therefore, some people feel pessimistic that Chinese people are thermos bottles and are not good at expressing, so Chinese dance is underdeveloped.
As a result, it was the dramatist Ouyang Yuqian who pointed to the confusion. He said that when Mei Lanfang went abroad to perform, because he was afraid of language communication barriers, he chose some action-based repertoires, such as “The Drunken Concubine”, “The Goddess Spreading Flowers”, and “The Story of Shasha”. When commenting in western newspapers, they all respected Mei as a dancer. He believes that Chinese opera is a collection of Chinese performing arts, including the rich art of Chinese classical dance.
His words awakened the bewildered Chinese dancers, and suddenly set off a climax of learning from traditional drama. Especially our opera house. Because of the division of labor at that time, the local song and dance troupes of various provinces and cities focused on discovering and sorting out folk dances in the region. The task of creating a Chinese classical dance system mainly fell on the China Opera and Dance Theater and our Shanghai Opera and Dance Theater. The “Sword Dance” created by Shu Qiao and won the gold medal in the 7th World Youth Festival Dance Competition can be said to be the first declaration of the official birth of Chinese classical dance. It was the first highland occupied in the great battle of creating Chinese classical dance.
“Sword” has always been an important part of Chinese dance. As early as the Tang Dynasty, there was a famous sentence of Gongsun Auntie dancing sword: “Come like a thunder to receive the anger, and stop like a river and sea.” It is full of the beauty of “round and flowing air”, and its “essence and spirit” best embodies the charm of China. In addition to learning to use opera and dance, Shu Qiao also creatively drew nourishment from martial arts, freeing Chinese classical dance from the long-term dependency of drama, and stepping onto the world stage in an independent form.
出国时戴爱莲给我们排《荷花舞》，可惜我的光辉形象没有被编辑选入镜头。
Through learning traditional drama dance, the most important gain is to find out the basic rhythm of Chinese classical dance art guided by Chinese philosophy and its aesthetic pursuit, such as the use of breath, balance between Yin and Yang, seeking circle and occupying the middle, and summing up The four-character formula of “twisting, tilting, rounding, and bending” extends the dynamic trajectory of the “circle” of the human body: just like the Taiji diagram, the “end point returns to the starting point”, “no beginning and no end.” It fits into the farming culture’s understanding of the universe “round and round” and “endless”. “Circle” is regressive, centripetal, convergent and implicit, and represents the ultimate aesthetic pursuit of Chinese dance. Once grasped, it is like getting a key. For thousands of years, the dance materials are brilliant and vast. The door of the treasure house opened. After mastering the movement rhythm, the dancing images hidden in the literature, poetry, music, painting, stone carvings, colored sculptures… suddenly came alive and seemed to have gained souls again. The creators of dance art in New China also absorbed the scientific analysis method of ballet, and made a new construction of the aesthetic value of traditional opera dance, forming a unique form and style in the world. It gave birth to the Chinese classical dance, which is juxtaposed with the western ballet and can represent the human body culture of the East. They are externalized forms of national traditions and have extremely far-reaching significance.
In this process, a large number of handed down works have been produced. The most famous of these are “Lotus Dance” and “Flying Heaven”, both of which are works by Dai Ailian. (Note) Dai Ailian does not speak Chinese, but loves traditional Chinese culture for life. Her “Lotus Dance” was born out of “Lotus Lantern” in northern Shaanxi, but added the body charm of Chinese classical dance, and used traditional Chinese comparison techniques to poetically symbolize the prosperity of lotus flowers that “out of the mud but not stained” Motherland. The bright image, smooth movements, and concise structure all of a sudden became a boutique. The saying “the big river runs from the north to the south, the lotus lantern” spreads throughout China. It was not only a smash hit in China, but also performed all over the world. When I went abroad , “Lotus Lantern” is the most popular show.
Another work handed down from generation to generation is the duet dance “Flying Heaven”. In 1994, also inspired by Ouyang Yuqian, Dai Ailian successfully separated many of the dancing silk movements in Mei Lanfang’s “The Heavenly Girl Scattering Flowers” and processed them into an independent dance work-the female duet “Flying Heaven”. This is the first dance in contemporary China based on Dunhuang murals, and it has epoch-making significance. And Dai Ailian’s beginning was above the commanding heights of the entire artistic creation-she did not stop at the simulated reproduction of murals, but with smooth, gliding, flying colored silk and dancing postures, expressing a kind of artistic conception that humans wish to soar into the sky. . At that time, Dai Ailian had a group of north and south. In the north were Zi Huajun and Xu Jie of the Central Song and Dance Ensemble, and to the south were me and Zheng Yun of the Shanghai Opera House. From this, I was fortunate enough to meet Teacher Dai and become her direct disciple, benefiting from her teachings and being led by her for life. As a result, he became close friends with the famous Chinese dance artist and later director of the Chinese Dance Research Institute Zi Huajun.
In short, through the establishment of professional dance troupes at all levels, and through competitions again and again, the government has effectively led and promoted the development of the art industry. We, the first generation of professional dancers in New China, were born at the right time, linking the past and the next, and with the spirit of “up to the clear sky and falling in Biquan”, Chinese dance has entered an unprecedented period of prosperity. I am very fortunate to have performed all these landmark works that have created a new generation of Chinese dance. As a participant and practitioner, I have witnessed the whole process of the construction of this great Chinese new music and dance. It also laid a solid foundation for my career in dance.
上海歌剧院成立之始就有“以莫斯科大剧院为范本“这个明确的目标。而莫斯科大剧院享誉世界的镇院之宝是它雄踞世界之巅的古典舞芭蕾，那么，我们中国的经典，中国的古典舞是什么样的？谁也不知道。于是中国存不存在古典舞都成了疑问。
1975年，青海出土了一只彩陶盆。(注)本来在中国，出土一只彩陶盆实在算不了什么，但这只盆却引起了极大的轰动，因为在它的内壁上绘制的五人一组，正在手拉手起舞的形象。经测定，这只盆是5000——5800年前，正是传说中炎黄时代。它清楚地印证了古籍中关于炎黄时代人们常“顿足踏地，连臂歌舞”的记载。
（注：于1973年出土于青海省大通县上孙家寨墓地，新石器时代后期陶器，为水器。现收藏于中国国家博物馆。新石器时代舞蹈纹彩陶盆高14.1厘米，口径28厘米，底径10厘米，呈橙红色。上腹部弧形，下腹内收成小平底。口沿及外壁以简单的黑线条作为装饰，内壁饰三组舞蹈图。2013年8月列入《第三批禁止出境展览文物目录。》
再顺藤摸瓜，发现中国是一个非常热爱舞蹈的国家。曾出现过多次舞蹈繁荣的高潮，譬如汉唐时的杨贵妃啦，赵飞燕啦，坐部伎立部伎啦，就是皇帝李隆基，大臣安禄山等也是可以下场大舞特舞，以善舞而闻名的。唐明皇还办了世界上最早的舞蹈学校。可是，现在它在哪里呢？时至二十世纪初，当年的盛况已成过眼烟云，早已不复存在。随着封建梓楛越栓越紧，自由释放情感已成禁区，这种现象早已没有了存在的空间。积贫积弱，民不聊生的中国，五千年古国璀璨的舞蹈文化已濒临失传。因而有人悲观的认为，中国人是热水瓶，不善表达，所以中国舞蹈不发达。
结果，倒是戏剧家欧阳予倩一语指点迷津。他说梅兰芳出国演出时，因为怕语言沟通有障碍，所以选了一些以动作为主的剧目，如《贵妃醉酒》、《天女散花》，《烷纱记》等。西方报刊在评论时，都把梅尊为舞蹈家。他认为中国戏曲集中国表演艺术之大成，其中便包括丰富的中国古典舞蹈艺术。
他的话点醒了在困惑中的中国舞人，一下子掀起了向传统戏剧学习的高潮。特别是我们歌剧院。因为当时分工，各省市的地方歌舞团以发掘整理本地区的民间舞蹈为主，创建中国古典舞体系的任务主要落在了中国歌剧舞剧院和我们上海歌舞剧院的头上。而由舒巧创作，在第七届世界青年联欢节舞蹈比赛中得金奖的《剑舞》，可以说是中国古典舞正式诞生的第一个宣言。是创建中国古典舞这个大战役中占领的第一块高地。
“剑”，历来是中国舞中的重要组成部分。早在唐代，就有公孙大娘舞剑：“来如雷霆收震怒，罢如江海凝清光”的名句。它极尽“圆流气”之美，其“精气神”最佳的体现了中国神韵。而舒巧除学习运用戏曲舞蹈外，又创造性地从武术中吸取营养，使中国古典舞从长期附庸于戏剧的状况中解脱出来，以独立的形式登上世界舞台。
这是1954年上海《解放日报》上登的我们排练《剑舞》的照片。2000年母亲去世时在她枕头下发现的。
通过学习传统戏剧舞蹈，最重要的收获是摸索出了在中国哲学观念指导下的中国古典舞蹈艺术的基本动律以及它的美学追求，比如气息的运用，阴阳平衡，求圆占中，总结出“拧、倾、圆、曲” 四字口诀，并引申出“圆”的人体动态流转轨迹：正如太极图，以“起承转合”的方式，“终点回归起点”，“无始无终”。切合了农耕文化对宇宙“周而复始”，“生生不息”的认识。“圆”是回归的，向心的，收敛含蓄，代表了中国舞的终极美学追求，一旦抓住就像拿到一把把钥匙，数千年来灿若星汉，浩若烟海的舞蹈资料宝库的大门开启了。掌握动律后，那些躲藏在文献、诗歌、音乐、绘画、石刻、彩塑……中的舞蹈形象一下子活了起来，似乎又获得了灵魂。新中国的舞蹈艺术创造者们又吸取芭蕾的科学分析方法，对传统的戏曲舞蹈在审美价值上进行了新的构建，形成了世界上唯我独有的形式和风格。催生了与西方芭蕾并列于世的，能代表东方人体文化的中国古典舞。它们是民族传统的外化形态，具有极其深远的意义。
在这个过程中，产生了大量传世之作。其中最有名的当属《荷花舞》和《飞天》，它们都是戴爱莲的作品。（注）戴爱莲不会中文，却终身挚爱中国传统文化。她的《荷花舞》脱胎于陕北的《荷花灯》，但是加上了中国古典舞的身韵，并以中国传统比兴的手法，诗意地将“出淤泥而不染”的荷花象征欣欣向荣的祖国。鲜明的形象，流畅的动作，凝练的结构，一下子成为精品，整个中国流传着“大江南北，跑驴荷花灯”之说，不仅在国内红极一时，也演遍了全世界，我出国的时候，《荷花灯》就是最受欢迎的节目。
（我为美国学生排的中国古典舞《荷花舞》和《飞天》
另一部传世之作是双人舞《飞天》。1994年，也是从欧阳予倩哪里受到启发，戴爱莲成功地将梅兰芳《天女散花》中许多舞绸的动作分离出来，加工成独立的舞蹈作品——女子双人舞《飞天》。这是中国当代取材于敦煌壁画的第一舞，具有划时代的意义。而戴爱莲一开始的起步就凌驾在整个艺术创作的制高点——她并没有停留在壁画的模拟再现，而是以流畅、滑翔、飞扬的彩绸和舞姿，表现人类希翼向往翱翔天宇的一种意境。当时戴爱莲南北各排一组，北方是中央歌舞团的资华筠和徐杰，南方就是上海歌剧院的我和郑韵。我由此有幸和戴老师相识，成为她的嫡传弟子，得益于她的教诲，终身受她的引领。也由此和中国著名的舞蹈艺术家，后来的中国舞蹈研究所所长资华筠成为挚友。
(注：戴爱莲, 1916年生于西印度群岛的特立尼达，1926年进入当地舞蹈学校学习芭蕾。
1930年赴英国伦敦，先后师从著名舞蹈家安东·道林（（Anton Dolin)、鲁道夫·拉班(Rudolf Laban)等，后来又投奔现代舞大师玛丽·魏格曼(Mary Wigman)，在伦敦魏格曼剧团学舞期间因大胆提出现代舞和芭蕾在技巧上应互相借鉴、互为补充见解而被开除。
1939年，其以优异的成绩获得著名的尤斯－莱德舞蹈学校奖学金。
1937年抗日战争爆发之后，戴爱莲在伦敦多次参加中国运动委员会为宋庆龄领导的保卫中国同盟筹集抗日资金举办义演，自编自演《警醒》、《前进》等舞蹈，歌颂中国人民抗战精神。第二次世界大战爆发之后，她回到祖国。在做文化救亡工作的同时，放下身段，深入民间，从事各民族民间舞蹈的采集和整理、演出和研究工作。1946年与育才学校师生一起在重庆举行了盛大的边疆音乐舞蹈大会。这一次演出的影响很大，不仅使中国各民族的民间舞蹈登上现代舞台，而且掀起一个民间舞蹈的普及运动。
解放后，出任第一任国家舞蹈团团长；第一任全国舞协主席；第一任北京舞蹈学校校长；第一任中央芭蕾舞团团长等。
戴爱莲是英国华侨，少年时经受的种族歧视，使她从心底深处产生强烈的爱国心。回国后她站在世界眼光的高度，为创建中国舞蹈奉献终身。是将散见于中国民众中自然传衍的舞蹈加工为舞台艺术品的始作俑者，在中国，是开历史之新河，史无前例的，因而成为中国当代舞蹈艺术先驱者和奠基人之一，被誉为“中国舞蹈之母”。）
总之，通过各级专业舞团的成立，再通过一次又一次的比赛，政府有力地领导促进了艺术事业的发展。我们这些新中国的第一代专业舞蹈工作者生逢其时，承上启下，以“上晴空落碧泉”的精神，推动中国舞蹈进入了空前繁荣期。我很有幸，演遍了以上所有这些开创中国舞蹈一代新风，具有里程碑意义的作品，以参与者、践行者的身份，见证了这个伟大的中国新音乐舞蹈建设的全过程。它也为我一身从事舞蹈事业打下了坚实的基础。