There is no record about the origin of dance drama in the verifiable history books. Music and dance with dramatic elements can be traced back to the Western Zhou Dynasty around 1 1 century BC. The famous "Dawu" is a large-scale song and dance that combines dance, music, poetry and other artistic forms to express the historical event that the King of Wu destroyed the Shang Dynasty. After that, Nine Songs appeared. Although it has a stronger dance drama factor, it is still not a strict dance drama as we know it today. As for the historical fact that dance was integrated into opera after Ming and Qing Dynasties, it can't be said that dance drama was born. As an independent art form, China Dance Drama appeared in 1930s. In a sense, after the introduction of "foreign art" and the exploration of pioneers of new dance art such as Dai and Liang Lun, a relatively complete art of China national dance drama has been formed.
The exploration of China's dance dramas has always followed the principles of "making the past serve the present" and "making foreign things serve China", focusing on mastery and popularization among the masses. The exploration of national dance drama has promoted the refining and transformation of traditional opera and dance, and gradually formed a conventional "classical dance style".
From 1949 to before the Cultural Revolution, it can be regarded as an experimental new period, and its creation is mostly combined with inheriting and developing opera and dance and drawing lessons from the experience of ballet in the former Soviet Union. His works include: The Dove of Peace, Stealing Fairy Grass, By the Pond of Lian Bi, Liu Hai Playing the Golden Toad, Lotus Lantern, Mermaid, Knife Club, Five Red Clouds, Manluo Flowers, Butterfly Lovers, Langya Mountain and so on.
After the "Cultural Revolution" and the Renaissance, large-scale dance dramas were launched all over the country, which greatly expanded the creative vision and performance themes of dance dramas. China's dance drama shows a diversified development trend in bold absorption and reference. His works in this period include: Rain on Silk Road, Princess Wencheng, Cuckoo, Banping Mountain, Flying to the Moon, Qishan in Feng Ming, Mulan Xiang, Hua Shu Tun and Nanmu Nuona, Zhuowasam, Pearl Lake, Snuff and Senjide.
China's dance drama also has a kind of works, that is, the magnificent music and dance epic. It was originally a traditional art form of music, dance and poetry in China since ancient times, and its source can be traced back to Dawu and Jiuge thousands of years ago. Such works can contain a wide range of themes and are good at expressing magnificent and important historical themes. After the founding of New China, the trilogy music and dance epics "Long Live the People's Victory", "Dongfanghong" and "Song of the People's Revolution in China" were out of print.
In addition, since the new period, China has also staged many antique large-scale music and dances. Such as imitating Tang music and dance, Tang Chang 'an music and dance, Belling music and dance, etc. In addition, the themes reflecting ethnic customs can also be described as dazzling. Among them, Be Loved by Children in the Yellow River, One Side of the Yellow River and Ba People's Native Land are the representatives.
Ballet music
Dance drama music is an important part of dance drama. It plays an important role in expressing ideological content, developing drama plots and shaping characters. Music is not only an instrumental accompaniment to dance, but also has the function of revealing the plot and depicting the inner feelings of the characters, which has strong independence. As people once said, "Music is the soul of dance.