Dunhuang dance

Dunhuang Dance is a form of Chinese dance which combines traditional culture and modern art.^[1] Dunhuang dance draws inspiration from the body movements in the Dunhuang grotto frescoes (such as in the Mogao caves), and the musical instruments and music scores found in Dunhuang, Gansu province, West China.^[2][3][4] The dance shows the combination of ethnic dance styles from Central and Western China.^[5] The dance, itself, is also influenced by Buddhist images and Buddhism.

Dunhuang dance
Dunhuang mural flying apsarasa
Chinese	敦煌舞
Literal meaning	Dunhuang dance
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Dūnhuáng wǔ

Sources of inspiration

The Mogao grottoes in Dunhuang houses several form of fine arts such as dance and music.^[1] It is filled with many dance images which inspired modern dance artists in China.^[1] Images of flying apsaras (Feitian) from the grottoes are also a source of inspiration.^[1]

List of Dunhuang dances

Thousand Hand Guan Yin

It is a contemporary creation produced by the Chinese choreographer Zhang Jigang.^[3] It was performed by the China Disabled Performing Art Troupe in which the group dancers are hearing-impaired.^[3]

• 
  Modern choreography Thousand hand Guanyin

Other depictions in media

• Rain of Flowers Along the Silk Road, a dance drama presented in Beijing on May 23, 1979 by the Gansu Dunhuang Art Academy of China. ^[5]

Gallery

• 
  Dunhuang dance
• 
  A pipa player playing with the pipa behind his back. Dunhuang, Mogao Caves.
• 
  China, mid-Tang Dynasty. Artwork from the Dunhuang Grottos, Yulin Cave number 25 showing a Bird of Life, playing a pipa, with a dancer playing drum
• 
  Buddhist cave art, a dancer spins while the orchestra plays. Grotto 46 Left interior wall, second panel. Also called cave 112.
• 
  Cave 220 “Hu xuan” dancer in mural from Mogao.

See also

• Dance in China
• List of dance in China