According to Wen Yiduo (1899–1946), “dance is the most direct, the most substantive, the strongest, the sharpest, the simplest, and the most bountiful performance of the emotional life.” When feelings cannot be expressed by words, the limbs become most instinctive tools. Dancing is an art that expresses a person’s thoughts and feelings through refined, rhythmic, and organized movements. Dancing is one of the oldest art forms and this is definitely true in China, where it can be said that China has had a dance culture from its beginning. Whenever there are harvest celebrations or sacrifices are offered to the ancestors—there will be no shortage of dancing. 

Music is the soul of dance, and dance is the echo of music. Ancient Chinese music was full of mystery; it distinctively integrated song, dance, and music into one performance. Later generations collectively called it the “original music and dance.” Music determined the structure, characteristics, and temperament of the dance, and the dance made the music even more celebratory. In ancient times, the dragon was an important symbol. Its shape is a collection of totems from China’s various ethnic groups; it is also a symbol of sacred power and good fortune. Throughout Chinese history, the dragon played witness to the continual process of building alliances, and integrating different clans. Therefore, the Chinese often called themselves “the descendants of the dragon,” a custom that continues even today. Dragon worship was not only expressed in written and spoken languages, but also fully embodied in dancing. Whenever there is a celebration or a festival, the soaring and whirling dragon dance is commonly performed; there are different styles depending where you are in China or among the Chinese communities all over the world: there is giant, magnificently painted dragon in one place while in another you might see the “One-hundred-leaf Dragon” made from lotus petals, the “Fire-Dragon” made from smoldering incense (joss sticks) with flames coming out from the mouth, or the “Flesh Dragon” (also called the “Human Dragon”) made up of performers. Every element making up the dragon is closely connected, and the dance itself is always continuous and unbroken. The dragon dance has become a symbol of China’s national spirit.

The feminine counterpart to the strong, masculine, and powerful dragon dance is the “Chu-dance,” which features elegant, soft movements. Wearing striking costumes with graceful and elegant “long sleeves,” the dancers sway their slender waists. Listening to the soft ancient music, the viewers are fully immersed in their beautiful and colorful experience—this is no longer a simple dance, but a beautiful audiovisual feast. Ancient dancers, female dancers in particular, with slender waists were highly valued; those who wore the “long sleeves” were considered to be even more beautiful. A slender dancer with long sleeves can not only show off her beautiful bearing, she can make her dance even more graceful and expressive, while at the same time allowing the elegant style of the dance itself to come through. This common practice has been a dominant trend over time. Even men of letters have often used “slender waist with long sleeves” to describe “Chu dancers.”   

The Tang dynasty (618–907) is a bright, shining moment in dance history. This was on account of the dynasty’s liberal government policies, as well as its diplomatic relations that brought prosperity and peace to the land. Influenced by the religious culture of the Western Regions (regions west of Yumenguan in modern Dunhuang, Gansu) and the rulers’ personal preferences, dance made great progress during the Tang dynasty­­—the imperial court established state organizations to promote the development of dance culture; among these were the Office of Music Instruction, the Pear Garden Theater, and the Court of Imperial Sacrifices. After the Disaster of Yongjia (reign title of Emperor Huai of Jin, r. 307–311), music and dance from the Western Regions were introduced to China, and, over the course two centuries, they were integrated with Chinese dance and music. By the time the Tang dynasty inherited these dances and music, they had a strong non-Chinese style. For example, many dances adopted a style in which the dancers raised their heads, looking upward while they twirled in place as fast as a whirlwind. Because this dance form came from the Western Regions, it was called the “Hu (non-Chinese) Whirl.” Dance and music of the Tang dynasty absorbed the essence of foreign cultures and, in doing so, it reflected the self-confidence and magnanimous broad-mindedness of the Tang people.    

Chinese dance has a long and splendid history, and has been an integral element of Chinese culture since its birth, adding luster to Chinese civilization. A survey of dance would include: the bewildering and straightforward totem dance and the overwhelming and thrilling enslaved female dancers, during earliest times; the Western Zhou dynasty’s (ca. 1100–771 BCE) solemn and religious “elegant dance”; the Wei (220–265) and Jin (265–420) periods were known for the beauty and elegance of the “clear shang mode” dance; the Tang and Song (960–1279) dynasties were known for the grand and exquisite Yan (festal) music; during the Ming (1368–1644) and Qing (1644–1911) dynasties, there were distinctive and attractive dances in their drama; modern times brought the “new dance,” and today there are flourishing theatre dances—all of these dances demonstrate a highly civilized Chinese culture. Thousands of years of development and growth have left an extremely rich legacy of Chinese dance for world culture.