Shen Yun Performing Arts
  • Over Shen Yun
    De Voorstelling
    Is Shen Yun nieuw voor u?
    9 eigenschappen van Shen Yun
    Klassieke Chinese dans
    Symfonie Orkest
    Factsheet
    Shen Yun
    Ons verhaal
    Het leven bij Shen Yun
    De uitdagingen waar we mee te maken hebben
  • Artiesten
  • Video's
  • Wat is nieuw
    Wat is nieuw
    Nieuws
    Blog
    In de media
  • Persberichten
  • Vragen en Antwoorden
  • Recensies van het publiek
  • Ontdek Nieuwsbrief Zoek
    Nederlands
  • English
  • 中文正體
  • 中文简体
  • 日本語
  • 한국어
  • Česky
  • Deutsch
  • Español
  • Français
  • Indonesia
  • Italiano
  • Polski
  • Português
  • Latviski
  • Pусский
  • Română
  • Svenska
  • Việt
  • Melayu
  • עברית
  • Norsk
  • Kaarten & Info
    Menu
    Shen Yun Logo
    Kaarten
    Wat is nieuw
    Menu
    • Over Shen Yun
      • Is Shen Yun nieuw voor u? 9 eigenschappen van Shen Yun Ons verhaal Het leven bij Shen Yun Shen Yun feiten De uitdagingen waar we mee te maken hebben Klassieke Chinese dans Symfonie Orkest
    • Artiesten
    • Video's
    • Wat is nieuw
      • Wat is nieuw Nieuws Blog In de media
    • Persberichten
    • Vragen en Antwoorden
    • Recensies van het publiek
    Shen Yun 9 Characteristics Link Image

    Wat maakt ons uniek?

    ONTDEK DE 9 EIGENSCHAPPEN
    • Ontdek
    • Nieuwsbrief
    • Zoek
    Taal
    • English
    • 中文正體
    • 中文简体
    • 日本語
    • 한국어
    • Česky
    • Deutsch
    • Español
    • Français
    • Indonesia
    • Italiano
    • Polski
    • Português
    • Latviski
    • Pусский
    • Română
    • Svenska
    • Việt
    • Melayu
    • עברית
    • Norsk
      Blog
      Terug Blog > 5000-Year-Old Siblings: Chinese Dance & Kung Fu

    5000-Year-Old Siblings: Chinese Dance & Kung Fu

    “I know kung fu!” Neo’s famous line from The Matrix may sound cliché 13 years later, but it’s an archetype of the action genre that portrays flashy fight scenes and shrouds it with the mysticism of Eastern martial arts. With films and TV shows featuring stylishly choreographed kung fu fight scenes, many people may have a hard time discerning between Chinese martial arts and some of the classical Chinese dance moves seen in our Shen Yun program.

    But fear not, for despite some uncanny similarities, there are key traits that set the two apart.

    Chinese martial arts and classical Chinese dance can be thought of as twins conceived 5,000 years ago by the earliest progenitors of Chinese culture. Although spawned from the same roots, these siblings with vastly contrasting personalities served very different purposes. Whereas Chinese martial arts fulfilled the practical purpose of fighting and defending, classical Chinese dance entertained dignitaries of the imperial court as a performing art.

    One way to explain the differences between the two is to look at the three main components of classical Chinese dance: form, bearing, and techniques.

    Shen Yun violinist Kevin Yang practices Chinese
    martial arts in his spare time and took 3rd place in
    NTD's International Martial Arts Competition.

    Form refers to Chinese dance’s repertoire of movements and postures. These are standardized but can be chained together an unlimited number of ways to be visually appealing. They are limited only by the choreographer’s creativity. Chinese martial arts, which also have sets of standardized movements and fist forms, differ greatly from dance—they are dictated by practicality, and used only if they serve a purpose in attacking or defending. They would not be applied just for the sake of looks.

    If form is Chinese dance’s skeleton, bearing is the flesh and blood—it’s the art form’s unique defining element. Bearing can be described as the process in which the entire body, including the gaze and breath, is integrated in a series of movements. For even deceptively simple movements, a dancer’s intent directs the breathing, and the breathing directs the body. Bearing helps deliver the desired message, its mood and tone, forming an ethereal mental and emotional bond between performer and viewer.  

    Bearing functions like a spoken language with an array of punctuations and accents. Its expressivity is boundless, highlighting the true beauty of classical Chinese dance.

    Chinese kung fu has its own type of bearing, though it’s not emphasized as in Chinese dance. In traditional forms of Chinese martial arts, bearing is again used only if it allows provides the martial artist with a way of attacking or defending more naturally and efficiently.

    Finally, there is technique. Many jumps, flips, and tumbling techniques are shared by both kung fu and Chinese dance. In Chinese dance they are used to delight the audience, adding sparks of excitement. Execution must be smooth and graceful to enhance its aesthetic qualities. The dancer’s body must be kept extended, creating long lines. Even in a simple dance kick, the leg must be extended perfectly straight in a long line for visual appeal.

    Kung fu takes a different approach. In a martial arts kick, the leg moves along a short line; the kick must be explosive and direct. Often, an extended line can get in the way of the martial artist attacking or defending effectively, and movements are sometimes completed using short, direct paths. If bodily extension is used, it’s to enhance reach and attack power.

    To the untrained eye, external similarities can make Chinese dance and Chinese martial arts seem almost identical. But hopefully by now, you’ve developed the maternal eye to discern between the 5000-year-old, seemingly identical, siblings of Chinese culture. Kudos to you!

    • Perspectieven van artiesten
    • Klassieke Chinese dans
    • Dance Techniques
    • Traditionele Chinese Cultuur
    • Martial Arts
    Ming Liu Blogger New

    Ming Liu

    Dancer

    Bekijk alle posten

    12 april 2012

    Commentaar
    verification

    Vorige

    In Washington DC, A Taste of Japan

    Volgende

    North America Tour Log – April
    Meest recent
    • Mijn eigen missie
      Jason Zhu Thumb
    • Gingen mijn kinderen maar naar Fei Tian...
      AlWhitted Edit Thumb
    • Mijn Poolster
      Angela Lin Thumb
    • Vriendelijkheid brengt culturen samen
      Nara Oose Thumb
    • Waarden die generaties overbruggen: Toewijding en hard werken
      Lillian Parker Thumb
    Meest populair
    • Alle
    • Nieuws
    • Blog
  • 1 Kennedy Center ontvangt bommelding gericht tegen Shen Yun
  • Zie meer
    Zie meer
    Zie meer

    Tags

    • Perspectieven van artiesten
    • Klassieke Chinese dans
    • Dance Techniques
    • Traditionele Chinese Cultuur
    • Martial Arts
    Shen Yun logo golden
    Shen Yun logo golden

    Shen Yun Performing Arts is een vooraanstaand klassiek Chinees dans - en muziekgezelschap dat is opgericht in New York. Het speelt klassieke Chinese dans, etnische en volksdans, en verhaal gebaseerde dans met orkestrale begeleiding en soloartiesten. Vijfduizend jaar lang floreerde de goddelijke cultuur in het land China. Door middel van adembenemende muziek en dans laat Shen Yun deze glorieuze cultuur herleven. Shen Yun, of 神韻, kan worden vertaald als: "De schoonheid van goddelijke wezens die dansen."

    Over Shen Yun
  • Is Shen Yun nieuw voor u?
  • Shen Yun Symfonie Orkest
  • Het leven bij Shen Yun
  • Shen Yun feiten
  • De uitdagingen waar we mee te maken hebben
  • Shen Yun & Spiritualiteit
  • Ontmoet de artiesten
  • Veelgestelde Vragen
  • Video's
  • Nieuws
  • Over Shen Yun
  • De artiesten
  • Recensies
  • In de media
  • wat is nieuw
  • Hoogtepunten
  • Nieuws
  • blogs
  • Recensies
  • In de media
  • Ontdek
  • Chinese Dans
  • Muziek
  • Zang
  • Shen Yun Kostuums
  • Digitale Projectie
  • Shen Yun Rekwisieten
  • Verhalen en Geschiedenis
  • Shen Yun en traditionele Chinese Cultuur
  • Communiceer met ons
    Volg ons op Gan Jing World
    Teken ons gastboek
    Lees meer over Shen Yun
    op ons streaming platform
    Beoordelingscentrum voor kunstvaardigheid
    Aandenken en premium collecties
    Geïnspireerd door Shen Yun
    Artist Fashion
    Shen Yun Performing Arts officiele website Copyright ©2025 Shen Yun Performing Arts. All Rights Reserved.
    Neem contact met ons op Voorwaarden Privacy Sitemap

    Op ShenYun.com. gebruiken we cookies. Door het gebruiken van deze site accepteert u onze Cookie Policy.