Chinese Dragon Dance Research Paper

Research Writing: Part II

Prompt:

SECTION III

What are the costumes/garb worn while performing/executing your selected dance? What is the significance of the specific articles of clothing worn? Can representations of your dance be seen in any other artistic or cultural contexts? Describe the music associated with this dance. Is there any other pertinent information you found regarding your dance style?

SECTION IV

Evaluate how this dance form is related to you, your family, and/or your culture?(I’m from China, Sichuan province ) Surname 1
Name
Instructor
Course
Date
The Dragon Dance
Section I
Introduction
The Dragon Dance is a traditional Chinese dance that originated in the Han Dynasty (206 BC 24AD)). This practice never fades. Initially, the dragon dance was performed to satisfy the
ancestors and to argue for sufficient rain for the growth of crops, subsequently forestalling
infection and yearning. The Dragon Dance has continuously become a cultural activity in each
celebration since the Tang and Song Dynasties.
History of the Dragon Dance
Dragon is additionally an encapsulation of the yang force idea. In Chinese folklore,
winged serpents are accepted and known to have the option to make mists using their breath. The
volcanoes are made when mythical serpents burst out of the ground to answer paradise’s call.
The dragon creature has extraordinary and incredible abilities and pride, representing richness,
intelligence, promise, and majestic power (Thomas 115). Moreover, the mythical dragons are the
wellspring of the components – wind, water, fire, and earth – and the seasons’ caretaker,
consequently representing life and thriving.
From its beginnings in adapted depictions of natural creatures, the winged Dragon
developed and became a legendary animal worshipped and praised in Chinese culture. The
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craftsmanship of the dragons is set from a limbless snake-like animal in the pre-Qin tradition to
the composite animal, a mix of numerous creatures, including the horns of a stag, the ears of a
bull, the eyes of a bunny, the hooks of a tiger, and the size of a fish, all on a long dragon’s body.
With these qualities, it was accepted that mythical serpents were land and water capable, with the
capacity to continue ashore, swim in the ocean, and fly through the air, presenting them as
legislative leaders of rain and cloud in climate (Thomas 115).
Section II
The Dance Description
The dance can change in size and length, beginning from a couple of meters up to around
100m in length. Mythical dragons carry karma for individuals. The more extended the animal is,
the more karma it will bring. If the Golden Dragon contacts a person among the crowd, they
expect favorable luck and flourishing in the coming year. The presentation of the winged serpent
dance is joined by the extreme, entrancing cadence of cymbals, gongs, and the enormous drum:
the sound and the mood direct the development of the mythical serpent. The imagination of the
dance group imitates the alleged effect of this soul and consequently rejuvenates the still body
(Shang).
During the dance, the entertainers hold posts and dance by raising and lowering the
mythical Dragon, made of textured materials. The leading artists lift, plunge, and push the
mythical serpent’s head, which might contain enlivened highlights constrained by the artist and is
sometimes fixed to burp fire and smoke from stowed away pyrotechnic gadgets. One of the
entertainers is conveying a circle on a shaft, the magical ‘Pearl of Wisdom,’ and his movements
with the Dragon represent the mythical serpent’s chase after information, intelligence, and
reality. All the artists in the mythical dragon dance participate by moving the winged serpent’s
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body and blending it with the drum plan (Shang). The drum is not simply used to beat a cadence;
the uproarious commotion of the instrument drives off detestable spirits and beasts like the
goliath Nian.
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Works Cited
Shang, Hua-ping. “The Dissemination of Chinese Dragon Culture and the Inheritance and
Innovation of Dragon Dance in Colleges and Universities.” DEStech Transactions on
Social Science, Education, and Human Science, no. ichss, 2018. Crossref,
https://doi.org/10.12783/dtssehs/ichss2017/19570.
Thomas, Mark. “Generations at Work and Social Cohesion in Europe.” Contemporary
Sociology: A Journal of Reviews, vol. 42, no. 1, 2012, pp. 115–16. Crossref,
https://doi.org/10.1177/0094306112468721gg.