UDC: 792.8(510) COBISS.SR-ID 139173897 CIP - 7 _________________
Received: Jan 15, 2024
Reviewed: Jan 25, 2024
Accepted: Feb 02, 2024
Artistic Dialogue of Traditional Chinese Music
and Western Approach in Choreography
Shengya Huang
Stanisław Moniuszko Academy of Music in Gdańsk, Poland
College Music and Dance of Nanchang Vocational University, China
Stanisław Moniuszko Academy of Music in Gdańsk, Poland
College Music and Dance of Nanchang Vocational University, China
Citation: Huang, Shengya. 2024. "Artistic Dialogue of Traditional Chinese Music and Western Approach in Choreography." Accelerando: Belgrade Journal of Music and Dance 9:1
Acknowledgement: To my professor Ana Galikowska-Gajevska, who was my mentor and supervisor during my work on MA diploma choreografies at the Eurithmics department at the Stanisław Moniuszko Academy of Music in Gdańsk, Poland.
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Abstract
The author, in the text below, discusses her 4 choreographies based on Chinese culture and art. There are two compositions by Pierre - Octave Ferrous from Trois Pieces pour flûte seule series , another two represent the music of Chinese composers: Zhang Qu - Musical Letters and Huang Haihuai – Horse Racing. Shengya Huang in her artistic works used the elements of traditional Chinese dance and Chinese props. The premiere of the choreographies described below took place in Poland, in 2023, and was performed by the students of The Eurhythmics Faculty at Stanislaw Moniuszko Music Academy of Gdańsk and by the author herself. She presented her artistic works in China, as well, with the participation of The College Music and Dance, Nanchang Vocational University students .
Keywords: traditional Chinese music, traditional Chinese dance, ‘water sleeves’, dancing with fans |
Introduction
Two out of three pieces from the series Trois Pieces pour flûte seule, Bergere Captive and Jade, miniatures for solo flute composed by a French musician in the early 20th century and not at all simple in terms of emotional aspect, impressed the author with their sound structure and diversified mood. The author has discovered in the choreography of those pieces a genuine reflection of Chinese music aesthetics. That was the reason why she decided to use the props. In the first miniature, Bergere Captive, designed in movement for one performer, she introduced an oil-paper umbrella. Its purpose was to emphasises lightness, transience and elusiveness of music.
Oil-paper umbrellas are commonly used in the traditional Chinese dance. They might be used in order to bring to mind the natural scenery and to create the vision and fantasy-like atmosphere of dancing. The use of umbrellas makes dance more appealing and charming. An umbrella is a prop that requires very good body movement coordination. Below are a few photos of the soloist holding a Chinese umbrella.
Picture 1 - 2. Shengya Huang, choreography of music, Pierre - Octave Ferrous, Bergere Captive.
Performer: Dominika Massloch. Photo: Tharakum Photography.
Another choreography was inspired by the piece entitled– Jade. The author herself danced it, with one other performer. There, Shengya decided to use the costumes featuring an element typical of Chinese culture, namely: Shui Xiu (水袖), so called water sleeves.
Shui Xiu are the artistic essence of the national Chinese culture. The culture of water sleeves has a long history. It dates back to the ancient times, when it was an element of traditional Chinese garments. Water sleeves have an exceptional expressive potential. They embody the charm of classical Chinese dance and the spiritual temperament of The Chinese nation. Water sleeves optically elongate the arms, but also all body movements, stretch the force of body expression and expand the emotional aspect. In the language of dance, the water sleeves are a significant means of expression for the dancers. Today the use of water sleeves in the classical Chinese dance has become to a certain extent its signature look. Water sleeves may emphasise the physical strength and the power of a dancer's expression. Body strength is the extent to which one can move the water sleeves, and the dynamic beauty resulting thereof produces a powerful expression. Both components intertwine and complement each other. Below are a few photos depicting the performers in costumes, whose key feature are Shui Xiu. |
Picture 3 - 5. Shengya Huang, choreography of music, Pierre - Octave Ferrous, Jade.
Performers: Dominika Massloch and Shengya Huang. Photo: Tharakum Photography.
Another artistic diploma work was created to be performed with the music of a well-known and acclaimed composer - Zhang Qu. The piece, entitled Musical Letters, was created for the famous Chinese dance drama: Confucius. The music itself is majestic, but slightly sorrowful. It symbolises the rocky road depicting Confucius' life and is an account of the worthless life he led, travelling around the world. The piece inspired Shengya Huang to create her own art. She created a spatial-movement visualisation of music with the use of fans - so typical of Chinese national dances. Such props allow the dancers to express a wide spectrum of emotions. And so it was in the case of Polish performers - ten students of The Eurhythmics Faculty at Stanisław Moniuszko Academy of Music in Gdańsk Using two types of fans and traditional Chinese costumes in the choreography, along with the music, formed a coherent, uniform whole.
Musical Letters is a composition written for strings and traditional Chinese instruments. The clash of two different musical styles, the Chinese and the Western, produced an intriguing sound, resulting in some interesting metro-rhythmic patterns. Zhang Qu in his piece introduced the following Chinese instruments:
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Musical Letters by Zhang Qu was designed by the author to be performed by a larger number of dancers than originally planned: 15 students and the author herself. The students learned their dancing routines in no time. Their commitment and active participation contributed to the final shape of the refreshed, new version of the music choreography, the performance of which was recorded in the main square of Nanchang Vocational University Campus on 29th December 2023. Below are photos of performers wearing traditional Chinese costumes with fans.
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Sai Ma (赛马 - Horse Racing is a piece composed by Huang Haihuai, specially for the 4th Solo Erhu „Shanghai Spring” Competition in 1964. Huang Haihuai https://baike.baidu.com/item/黄海怀/1231436 was a famous Chinese musician and composer who taught many instrumentalists how to play Erhu. Sai Ma is a very popular song in China, liked for its majestic depth, warm mood and vibrant melody. The composer 'painted' the exciting and vivid horse racing sequence with the sounds of the instrument. It is a piece worthy of a virtuoso, demanding from the performers technical fluency and musical perfection.
The author chose the composition, arranged for Erhu, the traditional Chinese instrument, to be illustrated with her own music choreography. She eventually decided to use the version arranged for Erhu and the orchestra. Floating red- and yellow-coloured costumes were an important element of the choreography, designed for 5 students plus the author. Red in China has always been perceived as a lucky colour. The upbeat music of Sai Ma in the author's original choreography gained a new visual dimension, sending the message of the best of luck to the people. Choreography performed by the 3rd year students of the dance school, and Shengya Huang was recorded in the main square of Nanchang Vocational University Campus in December 29, 2023. |
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Conclusion
Music, movement, and dance have been present in the author's life since early childhood. Fascinated with traditional Chinese dance, she decided to explore other opportunities for her professional development. Thanks to the studies at Stanisław Moniuszko Academy of Music in Gdańsk, she learned to understand music in a new way - through movement, which enriched her previous experience and knowledge acquired in China. In her artistic works, she included and combined her interest in the history of her country, using Chinese costumes and props as the elements of music choreographies. At the same time, she gave her Polish fellow Eurhythmics students and performers the chance to get familiar with Chinese music and the elements of Chinese culture. She taught Chinese students of dance about the Dalcroze's method: they could gain a new perspective on close inter-relations between music and movement. Drawing inspiration from the cultural diversity is a form of an artistic dialogue carried out by the author in two distant countries, on two different continents.
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References
https://amuz.gda.pl
https://baike.baidu.com/item/水袖/808188 https://baike.baidu.com/item/张渠/15526701 https://baike.baidu.hk/item/竹笛/4517354 https://baike.baidu.com/item/中国鼓文化/10867128 https://baike.baidu.com/item/古筝/66910 https://baike.baidu.com/item/上海之春/8214780 https://baike.baidu.com/item/黄海怀/1231436 http://www.sccm.cn https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PosyEHxQh4A https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJZIUgJBzU8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jitJGaoGs-I https://www.yxfanwen.com/shuomingwen/101690.html |
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Belgrade Center for Music and Dance is the publisher of Accelerando: BJMD
Belgrade Center for Music and Dance is the publisher of Accelerando: BJMD