Cross-cultural expression of Chinese ballet: Symbol, Identity, Context and Empathy

Abstract

This paper attempts to explore the dilemmas and problems faced by Chinese ballet in cross-cultural expression since the founding of New China (after 1949). Based on cross-cultural communication adaptation theory, the research shows that: (1) The study on the cross-cultural expression of Chinese ballet has not received much attention in the East and the West; (2) The Western dance system tends to view Chinese ballet dancers as cultural productive forces, more accepting of ballet dance’s individual identities than the collective identities of Chinese ballet; (3) the reviews of Chinese ballets published in the US and Australia show fundamental misinterpretation and biases; (4) the audience surveys show a lack of familiarity with Chinese ballet, as well as the presence of cultural stereotypes shaping audience reception; (5) the cross-cultural expression of Chinese ballet is in the stage from ‘contact-shock’ to ‘recognition-adaptation’. Finding a textual story of East-West empathy from 5,000 years of Chinese history, promoting co-productions by ballet companies from both sides, and using social media, online videos and theater living broadcasts, may improve this cross-cultural expression dilemma.

Keywords:

• Chinese ballet
• cross-cultural expression
• identity
• misinterpretation

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 At that time, the most representative ballet schools in Harbin included Andreyeva Ballet School, Kvyatkovskaya Art School, Feokkistov Ballet School. Most of these schools were established in the late 1920s and early 1930s, and the Andreyeva School alone trained 400 ballet dancers.

2 The White-Haired Girl(白毛女) is a ballet drama adapted from the opera of the same name by Shanghai Dance Academy in 1964. It is also a model of the combination of ballet and Chinese dance, choreographed by Hu Rongrong et al. It describes the story of the miserable fate of the tenant farmer’s daughter (Xi’er), and the people fighting for freedom and independence.

3 Red Detachment of Women (红色娘子军) adapted from the film of the same name, premiered by the National Ballet of China in 1964. It combines techniques from Western ballet with Chinese ethnic dance. It tells the story of Qionghua, a servant girl who escapes from the bully’s landlord on Hainan Island in the 1930s. With the help of Red Army comrade Hong Changqing, Qionghua gradually grew from a rural girl to a female soldier with communist beliefs.

4 Raise the Red Lantern (大红灯笼高高挂) is based on writer Su Tong’s novel ‘Wives and Concubines’and adapted from Zhang Yimou’s film of the same name. Combining ballet with Chinese opera, and ethnic dance, this ballet tells the tragic love of women in traditional families in the Chinese feudal society.

5 Peony Pavilion (牡丹亭) adapted from the Kun opera of the same name, premiered by the National Ballet of China in 2008. The music, dance and stage design of this ballet are a combination of Chinese and Western multi-cultural elements, which is an important exploration of the nationalization of Chinese ballet. Through the integration of Du Liniang and two exquisite avatars, this ballet shows the inner world of the characters struggling to break free from the imprisonment and pursue freedom and love.

6 Qi Yun (气韵) is an aesthetic concept generally applied to identify painting, calligraphy and other arts in ancient China.

7 Beauty Mermaid (鱼美人) is an attempt to use the structural form of classical ballet to express Chinese mythological stories, premiered in Beijing in 1959. The dance drama absorbs Chinese folk dance materials and text stories, and is directed by Gushev, Li Chengxiang and Li Chenglian.

8 Zhang Weiqiang graduated from the Beijing Dance Academy, served as the principal of the National Ballet of China, the Star Ballet of Japan, the Globe Ballet of Korea and other companies, and became primo ballerino of the Royal Ballet of Canada in 2000.

9 The objects of the questionnaire delivery were audiences with art education experience and random samples of general audiences. The online questionnaire survey was conducted for one month. A total of 102 questionnaires were collected and 94 valid questionnaires were collected. Part of the research results have been published in the Journal of Beijing Dance Academy (Issue 3, 2021).

10 Circle round (圆场) is the action form of Chinese opera performance. The route taken by the actors on the stage is circular, and the speed is mostly slow to fast, and the cycle starts again and again.

11 Hinge action (绞柱) is a kind of Chinese dance technique. It is a technical skill formed by lying on the ground and twisting the body into the ground while coordinating with the continuous leg operation.

12 Coiling wrist (盘腕) is a very characteristic hand movement in Chinese dance, which takes the wrist as the main action part and shows the elegance and thinness of the dance through flexible wrist movement.

13 Cloud hand (云手) movement requires the dancer to maintain the softness and elasticity of the arms, while focusing on the coordination of the hands and the body.

14 Tang Xianzu (September 24, 1550–July 29, 1616) was a Chinese opera dramatist and litterateur in the Ming Dynasty, known as ‘the sage of Chinese opera’ and ‘the Shakespeare of the East’. His works ‘Peony Pavilion’ and ‘Purple Hairpin’ have been spread to Britain, Japan, Germany and many other countries, and are regarded as the treasures of the world’s dramatic art.

15 It means that due to cultural background differences, cultural products in the international market are not recognized or understood by audiences in other regions, resulting in the reduction of their intrinsic value. Hoskin and Mirus first proposed the concept in a paper published in 1988.

Additional information

Funding

The research was supported by the National Social Science Foundation of China (No. 19ZD18).

Notes on contributors

Ming Ma

Ming Ma (PhD) is a Professor at the School of Humanities, Beijing Dance Academy, China. He is a distinguished professor at Krik University in Thailand. He has published over 25 academic articles in Chinese core journals (CSSCI) and 4 monographs, including on topics such as digital technology and performing arts, international performance markets, arts fundraising, and theatre management. His research interests include cross-cultural communication of dance and arts administration. He is the board of the China Cultural Industries Management Committee and Beijing Peacock Contemporary Dance Company.

Yuan Meng-jie

Yuan Meng-jie PhD candidate, School of philosophy, Renmin University of China, focuses on the aesthetics of China and cross-cultural communication.