Artistic Endeavor as Self-Discovery: Tang Magnificence Captured in Dance

The Tang Dynasty is a splendid era marked by its dazzling cultural prosperity. In the dance drama “Night Banquet in Tang Dynasty Palace”, we wield various musical instruments and dance with gentle, graceful steps to recreate the musical and dance of the flourishing Tang era. We invite our audience to join us in traversing a thousand years to explore the splendor of the Tang Dynasty together.

Photo of Wang Jiayu, dancer of "Night Banquet in Tang Dynasty Palace", during an exclusive interview with Guangming Online.

Self-Discovery under Spotlight

“Night Banquet in Tang Dynasty Palace” brings the figures of Tang Dynasty dancers to life on stage through ensemble dance. We infuse these characters with distinct personalities, resonating with the audience as their stories unfold. Fourteen dancers, each representing a unique character, reveal our own selves through the dance. As we bring to life the musician and dancer figurines from 1,500 years ago, we also embark on a journey of self-discovery.

In shaping our stage personas, we not only incorporated our individual characteristics, but also infused them with our understanding of Tang Dynasty, its history and culture. For instance, my role is a lively and playful musician who loves to frolic and tease her friends. A beloved scene features me holding a  pipa (a string instrument), deliberately knocking into a nearby musician. This moment occurred along the neatly arranged procession of Tang dancers entering the palace, where at first, a straggling dancer rushes past and collides with me, causing me to bump into the one in front. This sets off a domino effect that leads to chaos in the lineup. Later, as we stood in a line, I turned to my friend beside me and said, “Move aside; I’m about to even the scores!” and then I playfully knocked over the musician that had bumped into me earlier.

Photo of Wang Jiayu and Zhang Zixin in the dance performance "Night Banquet in Tang Dynasty Palace". (Photo provided to Guangming Online)

Behind the Scenes: Quest for Magnificent Legacy of Flourishing Era

From the inception of choreography to the final presentation of “Night Banquet in Tang Dynasty Palace”, we navigated numerous revisions, with Director Chen continually exploring fresh ideas and perspectives to deliver a truly unique dance experience for our audience. We embraced a distinct aesthetic—one characterized by fullness and grace—reflecting the rich history and culture of the Tang Dynasty.

To refine our portrayal, we undertook field studies at museums, closely examining the painted clay figurines of female musicians. We also scoured online resources, immersing ourselves in the historical context and defining features of the era. Our goal was to faithfully replicate the poses, styles, and attire of these figurines. After thorough research on the evolution of women’s makeup during the Tang Dynasty, we eventually settled on a particular style from the slanting red makeup tradition, which showcases floral embellishments, crescent-shaped red accents, and petal-like lip designs.

Photo of the dance performance "Night Banquet in Tang Dynasty Palace". (Photo provided to Guangming Online)

When we first donned the plush sponge costumes, the 14 slender girls felt as though they had instantly gained 40 or 50 pounds, rendering normal movement nearly impossible, let alone graceful dancing. Despite our swift adaptation, we discovered that our movements had to be significantly larger than usual for the audience to notice; otherwise, we couldn’t effectively portray the plump confidence and playful charm of our stage personas. For instance, to convey the lively spirit of the musician figurines, our swaying motions had to be exaggerated five to 10 times beyond our typical range. This transformation defied traditional aesthetic norms that celebrate slenderness, vividly illustrating the diverse standards of beauty in Tang Dynasty society through our performance.

By promoting the dance “Night Banquet in Tang Dynasty Palace”, we not only popularize the cultural significance underlying the Tang figurines but rekindle a keen public interest in the splendor of the Tang Dynasty among many who were previously unaware of its historical magnificence. This newfound curiosity inspires audiences to actively explore the past. We aspire to vividly recreate more historical treasures, allowing them to radiate new vitality on stage and offering the audience a deeper understanding and appreciation of traditional culture and art.

Contributed by Wang Jiayu, dancer of “Night Banquet in Tang Dynasty Palace”, edited by Junye Zhang and Ji Yunfan (Intern).