dance1ic | 1-24 | Search Results | Pioneers of Chinese Dance | University of Michigan Library Digital Collections

"Rainbow"

Title (English): "Rainbow"
Title (Chinese): 《彩虹》
Title (Romanization): “Caihong"
Description: Dong Lixin (董丽馨 b. 1946) is a dancer of Bai ethnicity. Born in Dali, Yunnan, she tested into the Central Nationalities Institute Art Department Dance Program in 1959. During the 1970s and 1980s, she was a leading dancer in the Central Nationalities Song and Dance Ensemble. Her most famous performances include the Yi nationality dance drama "Great Changes in Liangshan" (凉山巨变) and the Yi nationality solo "Red Shawl" (红披毡).
Date: 1980s

"Elunchun Nationality Dance"

Title (English): "Elunchun Nationality Dance"
Title (Chinese): "鄂伦春族舞"
Title (Romanization): "Elunchun zu wu"
Description: The Central Nationalities Song and Dance Ensemble, founded in 1952 as the Central Nationalities Institute Cultural Work Troupe, specialized in performances created and performed by China's ethnic minorities. This piece is a hunting-themed dance meant to represent the Elunchun nationality of northern Inner Mongolia.

“Mongol Dance"

Title (English): “Mongol Dance"
Title (Chinese): 《蒙古舞》
Title (Romanization): "Menggu wu"
Description: Shu Qiao (舒巧 b. 1933) is one of China's most important choreographers of Chinese classical dance and Chinese dance drama. Originally from Zhejiang, Shu joined the Xin'an Traveling Troupe (新安旅行团) in 1944 and moved to Shanghai with the Troupe in 1949. In 1951-52 Shu studied with renowned Korean dancer Choi Seunghee (Sai Shōki/Ch'oe, Sŭng-hŭi/최승희/崔承喜, 1911-1969) at the Central Academy of Drama, and in 1986-1994 she was guest choreographer at the Hong Kong Dance Company. Apart from this, Shu spent the majority of her career as a dancer, choreographer, and leader at the Shanghai Opera and Dance Drama Theater. In 1954, she was part of a tour of Chinese performers to India, Indonesia, and Burma. In 1959, she starred as Zhou Xiuying in the dance drama and film Dagger Society (小刀会), and in 1962, she played the Chang'e in the dance drama Houyi yu Chang'e.
Date: 1950s

“Mongol Dance"

Title (English): “Mongol Dance"
Title (Chinese): 《蒙古舞》
Title (Romanization): "Menggu wu"
Description: Shu Qiao (舒巧 b. 1933) is one of China's most important choreographers of Chinese classical dance and Chinese dance drama. Originally from Zhejiang, Shu joined the Xin'an Traveling Troupe (新安旅行团) in 1944 and moved to Shanghai with the Troupe in 1949. In 1951-52 Shu studied with renowned Korean dancer Choi Seunghee (Sai Shōki/Ch'oe, Sŭng-hŭi/최승희/崔承喜, 1911-1969) at the Central Academy of Drama, and in 1986-1994 she was guest choreographer at the Hong Kong Dance Company. Apart from this, Shu spent the majority of her career as a dancer, choreographer, and leader at the Shanghai Opera and Dance Drama Theater. In 1954, she was part of a tour of Chinese performers to India, Indonesia, and Burma. In 1959, she starred as Zhou Xiuying in the dance drama and film Dagger Society (小刀会), and in 1962, she played the Chang'e in the dance drama Houyi yu Chang'e.
Date: 1950s

“Mongol Herdsmen Dance"

Title (English): “Mongol Herdsmen Dance"
Title (Chinese): 蒙古牧人舞
Title (Romanization): Menggu muren wu
Description: During the 1950s and early 1960s, Mongol dance was one of the most common dance stules performed by Chinese dance ensembles all over the PRC.

“Mongol Herdsmen Dance"

Title (English): “Mongol Herdsmen Dance"
Title (Chinese): 蒙古牧人舞
Title (Romanization): Menggu muren wu
Description: During the 1950s and early 1960s, Mongol dance was one of the most common dance stules performed by Chinese dance ensembles all over the PRC.

Siqintariha Improvising

Title (English): Siqintariha Improvising
Title (Chinese): 斯琴塔日哈即兴舞蹈
Title (Romanization): Siqintariha jixing wudao
Description: Siqintariha (斯琴塔日哈, b. 1932) was the first famous female Mongol dancer in the People's Republic of China. During Mongol social occasions and banquets, it is frequent for dancers to improvise for one another or as a group. This photo shows Siqintariha improvising in a friend’s home.
Date: 1990s

“Khalkha Dance”

Title (English): “Khalkha Dance”
Title (Chinese): 《哈拉哈舞》
Title (Romanization): “Halaha wu”
Description: This image shows members of the Inner Mongolia Song and Dance Ensemble (内蒙古歌舞团) performing a dance they learned from a visiting artist from the Republic of Mongolia. It is in the style of “Khalkha” (哈拉哈), one of the major Mongol tribes in the Republic of Mongolia. The name of the visiting artist who taught them this dance is pronounced in Chinese as “Daoligu’ersurong” (道力古尔苏荣). She worked with the ensemble for approximately two years during the mid-1950s, and this photograph is likely from that time.
Date: 1956

“Andai Dance”

Title (English): “Andai Dance”
Title (Chinese): 《安代舞》
Title (Romanization): “Andaiwu”
Description: This photograph shows a group of dancers performing the “Andai Dance” during the 1950s. Andai dance was one of the first styles of Mongol folk dance adapted for the stage. Unlike “Cup and Bowl Dance” and “Chopsticks Dance,” Andai dance was not originally a form of entertainment. Rather, it is derived from a communal healing ceremony that was once practiced in areas of today’s Eastern Inner Mongolia. Members of a local performance ensemble in that region first developed the dance based on their observations of these ceremonies.
Date: 1950s

“Chopsticks Dance”

Title (English): “Chopsticks Dance”
Title (Chinese): 《筷子舞》
Title (Romanization): “Kuaiziwu”
Description: Siqintariha (斯琴塔日哈, b. 1932) was the first famous female Mongol dancer in the People's Republic of China. This photograph shows Siqintariha performing a “Chopsticks Dance” during the 1960s. Chopsticks dance was one of the first styles of Mongol folk dance adapted for the stage. Like “Cup and Bowl Dance” it was derived from the dances performed by folk artists during banquets and is associated with the Ordos region of Inner Mongolia. In this photo, Siqintariha is accompanied by a “minzu yuetuan” (new Chinese orchestra) composed of adapted Mongol folk instruments including the horse-headed fiddle.
Date: 1960s

“Farm Work Dance”

Title (English): “Farm Work Dance”
Title (Chinese): 《政治舞蹈农作舞》
Title (Romanization): “Zhengzhi wudao Nongzuowu”
Description: This was one of the earliest works performed by the Inner Mongolia Cultural Work Troupe (later the Inner Mongolia Song and Dance Ensemble 内蒙古歌舞团). It was a political-themed piece created in 1948 that depicted agricultural work and likely had a specific educational message specific to the time it was created. Like much dance choreography in China at the time, it drew movement elements from everyday life. Little is known about the content of this work, and it did not become part of the Ensemble’s lasting repertoire.
Date: 1948

Teaching Mongol Dance at Dedema Art School

Title (English): Teaching Mongol Dance at Dedema Art School
Title (Chinese): 在德德玛艺术学院教授蒙古族舞蹈
Title (Romanization): Zai Dedema Yishu Xueyuan jiaoshou wudao
Description: As one of the first and most renowned creators and performers of modern Mongol dance in China, Siqintariha (斯琴塔日哈, b. 1932) is a leading figure in the professional Mongol dance community. She regularly judges at Mongol dance competitions and serves as an advisor to many dance schools and performance ensembles. Here, Siqintariha is serving as a guest teacher at the Dedema Art School.
Date: 2009

Siqintariha and Jia Zuoguang in "Ordos Dance"

Title (English): Siqintariha and Jia Zuoguang in "Ordos Dance"
Title (Chinese): 斯琴塔日哈与贾作光(“鄂尔多斯舞”)
Title (Romanization): Siqintariha yu Jia Zuoguang (E'erduosi wu)
Description: This is a close-up of the 1955 Mongol dance work “Ordos Dance.” In 1955, the People’s Republic of China received four awards for new works of national folk dance presented at an international dance competition held at the World Festival of Youth and Students in Warsaw, Poland. Among them, one of two first place awards went to “Ordos Dance,” the work pictured here. It is a four-minute Mongol-themed group dance piece created by a Manchu choreographer from named Jia Zuoguang (贾作光, 1923-2017) and starring Mongol dancer Siqintariha (斯琴塔日哈, b. 1932). It used music composed by Ewenke musician Ming Tai and was originally premiered in 1953, at the Inner Mongolia Song and Dance Ensemble (内蒙古歌舞团). Later, in 1955, it was restaged at the Beijing Dance School (北京舞蹈学校). "Ordos Dance" is one of the most famous works of Mongol dance in China. It is named after Ordos, a region of Inner Mongolia.
Date: 1964

50th Anniversary Celebration of Jia Zuoguang's Art Career

Title (English): 50th Anniversary Celebration of Jia Zuoguang's Art Career
Title (Chinese): 庆祝贾作光从艺五十周年
Title (Romanization): Qingzhu Jia Zuoguang congyi wushi zhounian
Description: This image shows Siqintariha (斯琴塔日哈, b. 1932), Jia Zuoguang (贾作光, 1923-2017), and others dancing improvisationally during a celebration held to honor the fiftieth anniversary of Jia Zuoguang’s dance career.
Date: 1990s

Inner Mongolia Song and Dance Ensemble 40th Anniversary Performance

Title (English): Inner Mongolia Song and Dance Ensemble 40th Anniversary Performance
Title (Chinese): 内蒙古文工团四十周年纪念演出
Title (Romanization): Nei Menggu Wengongtuan sishi zhounian jinian yanchu
Description: The Inner Mongolia Song and Dance Ensemble (内蒙古歌舞团, formerly the Inner Mongolia Cultural World Troupe) was founded under the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party in Zhangjiakou on April 1, 1946. It is the most important professional performing arts company of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and one of the oldest performing arts ensembles in China. The Ensemble specializes in the musical theater and dance styles of ethnic minority communities in Inner Mongolia. The initial size of the ensemble was thirty members, but by 1962 it had grown to over 250 members. Between 1946 and 1986, Ensemble members performed internationally in Europe, Asia, Africa, and North America. This photograph is from a special performance held in 1986 to honor the Ensemble’s fortieth anniversary.
Date: 1986

“Song in My Heart”

Title (English): “Song in My Heart”
Title (Chinese): 《心中的歌儿》
Title (Romanization): “Xinzhong de ge’er”
Description: Siqintariha (斯琴塔日哈, b. 1932) was the first famous female Mongol dancer in the People's Republic of China. During the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976) Siqintariha, like many dancers trained in the early Mao era, suffered political persecution and was not permitted to perform Mongol dance in official events. The Mongol solo dance “Song in My Heart,” premiered in 1976, was Siqintariha’s first Mongol dance work created after the Cultural Revolution. It represented the coming of a new era, which saw the revival of national folk dance practices from the 1950s and early 1960s. This marked the beginning of a new period of Mongol dance creation in China, in which Siqintariha was a leading figure.
Date: 1976

60th Anniversary of Autonomous Region

Title (English): 60th Anniversary of Autonomous Region
Title (Chinese): 内蒙古自治区成立60周年纪念大会
Title (Romanization): Nei Menggu Zizhiqu chengli liushi zhounian jinian dahui
Description: The Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region (内蒙古自治区) was established in 1947. As one of the most important dance artists from the region, Siqintariha was invited to participate in a performance celebration of the Region’s sixtieth anniversary in 2007. Siqintariha is shown performing here on stage at the age of seventy-five.
Date: 2007

60th Anniversary of Autonomous Region (Ordos Dance)

Title (English): 60th Anniversary of Autonomous Region (Ordos Dance)
Title (Chinese): 内蒙古自治区成立60周年纪念大会(鄂尔多斯舞蹈)
Title (Romanization): Nei Menggu Zizhiqu chengli liushi zhounian jinian dahui (E'erduosi wu)
Description: The Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region (内蒙古自治区) was established in 1947. As one of the most important dance artists from the region, Siqintariha (斯琴塔日哈, b. 1932) was invited to participate in a performance celebration of the Region’s sixtieth anniversary in 2007. Here, she and Jia Zuoguang are performing their 1955 work “Ordos Dance” together with other dancers. Siqintariha is shown performing here on stage at the age of seventy-five.
Date: 2007

"Milk Station Dance"

Title (English): "Milk Station Dance"
Title (Chinese): 《牛奶站舞》
Title (Romanization): ”Niunaizhan wu“
Description: This is a publicity postcard for the Mongol female group dance “Milk Station Dance,” a popular Mongol-style national folk dance work in China during the 1950s. It was originally choreographed by Gao Tai and later adapted by Jia Zuoguang (贾作光, 1923-2017).
Date: 1958

Studying Cup Dance with Folk Artist from Etuokeqi

Title (English): Studying Cup Dance with Folk Artist from Etuokeqi
Title (Chinese): 向鄂托克旗盅舞民间艺人学习
Title (Romanization): Xiang Etuokeqi Zhongwanwu minjian yiren xuexi
Description: Siqintariha (斯琴塔日哈, b. 1932) was the first famous female Mongol dancer in the People's Republic of China. In this image, Siqintariha is shown studying “Wine Cup Dance” with a renowned Mongol folk dance artist Nashunhutu (那顺呼图) from Etuokeqi, a region in Inner Mongolia. This photograph was taken in 1959. Soon after, Siqintariha would incorporate this technique into the female Mongol dance solo “Cup and Bowl Dance.”
Date: 1964

“Cup and Bowl Dance”

Title (English): “Cup and Bowl Dance”
Title (Chinese): 《盅碗舞》
Title (Romanization): “Zhongwan wu”
Description: Siqintariha (斯琴塔日哈, b. 1932) was the first famous female Mongol dancer in the People's Republic of China. This image shows Siqintariha performing the Mongol dance female solo work “Cup and Bowl Dance.” The work was originally choreographed by Jia Zuoguang and featured a dancer balancing a candle on her head and performing a solemn dance on a dimly lit stage. In 1959, Siqintariha transformed the work by replacing the candles with a stack of drink bowls, placing small drink classes like castenettes between dancer’s fingers, and brightening the lighting and pace. The idea to do this came from a drinking game often performed by folk artists in Inner Mongolia. The work became an almost instant classic after it was shown in a major performance festival held in Inner Mongolia in 1961. In 1962, “Cup and Bowl Dance” (performed by Modegema) represented China at the World Youth Festival in Finland, where it won the Gold Prize. A video of Modegema’s rendition of “Cup and Bowl Dance” can be viewed at the link below. This clip is taken from the dance film Colorful Butterflies Fly About (彩蝶纷飞 Caidie fenfei), released by the Beijing Film Studio in 1963. “Cup and Bowl Dance” has sparked numerous adaptations and remains a common part of the female Mongol dance curriculum in China.
Date: 1961-1962

“Hope”

Title (English): “Hope”
Title (Chinese): 《希望》
Title (Romanization): “Xiwang”
Description: Siqintariha (斯琴塔日哈, b. 1932) was the first famous female Mongol dancer in the People's Republic of China. This image shows Mongol dancers Siqintariha and Wu Yun (乌云) performing the Mongol dance duet “Hope” at the World Festival of Youth and Students in Budapest, Hungary, in 1949. “Hope” was choreographed by Wu Xiaobang (吴晓邦, 1906-1995), known as the “Father of Chinese New Dance.” Wu was a guest artist at the Inner Mongolia Cultural Work Troupe (later the Inner Mongolia Song and Dance Ensemble 内蒙古歌舞团) in 1947, when he created this work for the Ensemble. This is considered one of the earlier works of modern Mongol dance in China. The dance was set to a Mongol folk song and depicted two young women on their way to a local festival, feeling hope for the future.
Date: 1948

“Song in My Heart”

Title (English): “Song in My Heart”
Title (Chinese): 《心中的歌儿》
Title (Romanization): “Xinzhong de ge’er”
Description: Siqintariha (斯琴塔日哈, b. 1932) was the first famous female Mongol dancer in the People's Republic of China. During the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976) Siqintariha, like many dancers trained in the early Mao era, suffered political persecution and was not permitted to perform Mongol dance in official events. The Mongol solo dance “Song in My Heart,” which premiered in 1976, was Siqintariha’s first Mongol dance work created after the Cultural Revolution. This marked the beginning of a new period of Mongol dance creation in China, in which Siqintariha was a leading figure.
Date: 1976

“Ordos Dance”

Title (English): “Ordos Dance”
Title (Chinese): 《鄂尔多斯舞》
Title (Romanization): “E'erduosi wu”
Description: In 1955, the People’s Republic of China received four awards for new works of national folk dance presented at an international dance competition held at the World Festival of Youth and Students in Warsaw, Poland. Among them, one of two first place awards went to “Ordos Dance,” the work pictured here. It is a four-minute Mongol-themed group dance piece created by a Manchu choreographer from named Jia Zuoguang (贾作光, 1923-2017) and starring Mongol dancer Siqintariha (斯琴塔日哈, b. 1932). It used music composed by Ewenke musician Ming Tai and was originally premiered in 1953, at the Inner Mongolia Song and Dance Ensemble (内蒙古歌舞团). Later, in 1955, it was restaged at the Beijing Dance School (北京舞蹈学校). "Ordos Dance" is one of the most famous works of Mongol dance in China. It is named after Ordos, a region of Inner Mongolia.
Date: 1955

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"Rainbow"

"Elunchun Nationality Dance"

“Mongol Dance"

“Mongol Dance"

“Mongol Herdsmen Dance"

“Mongol Herdsmen Dance"

Siqintariha Improvising

“Khalkha Dance”

“Andai Dance”

“Chopsticks Dance”

“Farm Work Dance”

Teaching Mongol Dance at Dedema Art School

Siqintariha and Jia Zuoguang in "Ordos Dance"

50th Anniversary Celebration of Jia Zuoguang's Art Career

Inner Mongolia Song and Dance Ensemble 40th Anniversary Performance

“Song in My Heart”

60th Anniversary of Autonomous Region

60th Anniversary of Autonomous Region (Ordos Dance)

"Milk Station Dance"

Studying Cup Dance with Folk Artist from Etuokeqi

“Cup and Bowl Dance”

“Hope”

“Song in My Heart”

“Ordos Dance”

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