A case study in cultural revival; this research will investigate the art form of Dunhuang dance in both its design and practice, while considering its cultural significance relative to the tradition's origin in late 20th century China. Dunhuang dance is an invented tradition and art form based on Buddhist imagery and symbolism from cave murals found in the Mogao cave complex of Dunhuang. These murals represent a religious and cultural milieu, which was utilized by the creator of Dunhuang dance, Gao Jinrong, to fashion a new dance tradition in the modern era. From a cultural studies perspective, this thesis will consider; (a) the motivating factors and process of design on the part of Dunhuang dance's primary creator, Gao Jinrong, (b) Dunhuang dance's classification as a stream of Chinese classical dance, given the variety of cultural elements upon which it is based, and the date of its appearance, and (c) the dance form's creation as an organized cultural tradition in the context of a broader cultural revival in China's reform era, with specific reference to the Buddhist revival of the 1980s.
目次
Acknowledgements i Table of Contents ii Table of Images iii 1. Introduction: Research Background and Literature Review 1 1.1 History of Mogao Cave Murals and the origin of Dunhuang Dance 2 1.2 Research Questions and Research Method 4 1.3 Literature Review 6 1.3.1 The relationship between the Mogao Murals and Dunhuang Dance 7 1.3.2 Aesthetics of Chinese Dance and Dunhuang Dance 23 2. Dance and Tradition in the PRC: Revolution and Revival 37 2.1 The Assault on Tradition and Performing Arts of the Cultural Revolution 38 2.2 Ethnicity, National Identity and a New Era of Dance Art 43 2.3 China's late 20th Century Buddhist Revival 49 3. Gao Jinrong and the Invention of Dunhuang Dance 54 3.1 Gao Jinrong's Process of Design 55 3.2 Gao Jinrong's Analysis of Dunhuang Dance 59 3.3 Gao Jinrong on her Intentions and the Significance of Dunhuang Dance 64 4. Dunhuang Dance: A Case Study in Cultural Revival 72 4.1 Dunhuang Dance as Performing Heritage 73 4.2 Dunhuang Dance and the late 20th Century Buddhist Revival 81 4.3 Dunhuang Dance, Aesthetics, and Cultural Value 91 5. Conclusion 99 References 109
