Technical Skill
Technical skill in classical Chinese dance refers to a series of highly difficult techniques, including jumping and leaping, turning, and flipping. These techniques serve to enhance bearing and form.
Flips are classical Chinese dance’s most distinct techniques, and they include two main classifications. One is “flipping the body,” which is a series of turning movements wherein the waist is the axis and the dancer’s torso is slightly tilted. The second is aerial or tumbling techniques, and is one of the most difficult kinds of techniques.
All these jumping, turning, and flipping techniques, along with the exquisiteness of the bearing and form, give classical Chinese dance special expressivity. It is able to transcend ethnic, cultural, and even linguistic barriers, taking this well-established Chinese culture and presenting its essence to the world.
January 19, 2011
