| After three days of intensive competition, the | | | | body follow, and the feet also step out. The |
| first International Chinese Classical Dance | | | | connecting movement is called "fan-er." For |
| Competition concluded on July 8, 2007 in New | | | | example, the dancer faces you, and then turns |
| York City. Twenty-two contestants from across | | | | her body away. The dancer bends an arm, |
| the world gave splendid performances and high | | | | curved smoothly. There's no sharp bend. To push |
| level displays in the Finals. Expressed through | | | | away from the body forms a pleasing curve. |
| different dance styles, they presented the rich | | | | One part of the training in Chinese classic dance |
| and colorful inner meanings of Chinese dance. | | | | deals with control. One's joints and ligaments must |
| Chinese classical dance is very rich in expressions, | | | | be opened in order to control movements with |
| much richer than ballet. A Chinese dancer can | | | | high degree of difficulty. The leg being pulled up |
| express many feelings in an instant. | | | | above one's head is called "chao-tian-deng" and |
| Ballet dancers turn and jump but do not, as in the | | | | can be done from the front, sideways or from |
| Chinese classical dance, somersault. Ballet turns | | | | behind. The one from behind is not called |
| are horizontally round, while Chinese classical dance | | | | "chao-tian-deng", but "zi-jin-guan" where one's leg |
| can also turn vertically. Chinese classical dancers | | | | is pulled up from behind and held by the hand. |
| perform highly-skilled in-air movements such as | | | | These movements are typical of Chinese classic |
| the "Yun-Men Great Turn" and a 360-degrees spin. | | | | dance and they are the basic abilities that dancers |
| The many types of turns performed by Chinese | | | | should possess. |
| dancers, in addition to airborne connecting | | | | When these movements are used to express |
| movements, are reflected a rich and expansive | | | | content, one's inner spirit comes into play. For |
| vocabulary. "Shen yun" exquisitely performed | | | | example, to display the beauty of Heaven and |
| means a rich experience of movement with | | | | Gods, the divine spirit is needed. During rehearsal |
| meaning, the gift of Chinese classical dance. | | | | the dance teacher might suggest, "Carry a touch |
| How the body moves can express many degrees | | | | of the divine spirit." This is to say that one should |
| of meaning in Chinese dance. This is the key to | | | | sense a kind of pure and other-worldly feeling so |
| "shen-yun"'s body postures ("shen fa") that | | | | as to express one's divine spirit. If the dancer is |
| express layers of meaning ("yun lu"). "Shen fa" is | | | | unable to express it, then his movement is simply |
| the path of movement while "yun lu" is the feeling | | | | an empty movement. |
| the movement conveys. When one holds a | | | | The aim of this dance competition was to create |
| flower, the feeling expressed is happiness or | | | | the noblest kind of dance, and to promote |
| "shen yu." But one can use the same movement | | | | Chinese classical dance around the world. It would |
| to express a different feeling or "yun lu." | | | | also mark the revival of Chinese culture after |
| Chinese classical dance coordinates movement of | | | | having suffered numerous disasters in the past |
| the whole body. Movements ("fa") coordinate with | | | | five decades. |
| steps ("bu"). When the hands move, the eyes and | | | | |