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