MA Liangliang

【Abstract】The Tibetan men’s group dance Emancipated Serfs Sing Proudly is based on the serf’s true feelings. On the premise of respecting historical authenticity, it uses realistic creative ideas and techniques to design dance tables to show a thick historical picture. Dance reflects the Chinese Tibetan people’s pursuit of a better life and freedom, and the sincere feelings of serfs. This paper mainly analyses the theme, action and structure of the dance Emancipated Serfs Sing Proudly for the purpose of enabling the students to better understand and experience its implication and aesthetic feeling as well as helping them better learn and do in terms of the stage presentation of dance works.

【Key words】Movement characteristics; Dance composition; Dance structure

【作者簡介】Ma Liangliang, male, of Han nationality, master’s degree, lecturer, chief of Writing and Directing Teaching and Research Section of Dance School, Central University for Nationalities, whose research fields mainly include Chinese minority dance creation and theoretical research.

1. Historical Background of Dance Theme

The world-renowned social change, which took place nearly seventy years ago on the snow-covered plateau, has left a magnificent picture that is both history-witnessing and heart-shaking. “The sun shines brightly and the eagle spreads its wings to fly. As the spring scenery is infinitely beautiful on the plateau, how can I keep from singing...” The song Emancipated Serfs Sing Proudly, which has been sung for nearly seven decades, tells about the unprecedented great historical changes brought about by the democratic reform in Tibet. On the premise of respecting the historical authenticity, the dance Emancipated Serfs Sing Proudly takes the serf’s true feelings as its creative basis and adopts realistic creative ideas and techniques to design dance playscript to show a heavy scroll of history. The dance reflects the Chinese Tibetan people’s pursuit of a better life and freedom, embodying the sincere feelings of the serfs.

2. Characteristics of Dance Movement

In the selection of movements, the dance movement is not restricted to the display of the traditional Tibetan dance stylized expression, but further refines, exaggerates, develops and changes the movement expression of the traditional Tibetan folk dance essence. The design of the movement language starts from the personalities of the characters, so that the movements accord with the image, temperament and personality of the characters and the characters to be displayed, thus depicting their deep psychological desire. This work not only has the charm of traditional Tibetan dance, but also has a big shock value and a distinct sense of the times.

2.1 Motion Design of Serf Image

There are many innovations in the motion design of the serfs. The choreographer fully absorbs the Tibetan dance language, conscientiously comprehends, emotionally approaches and intentionally conveys the roles, so as to achieve the combination of form and spirit in the performance of roles. On the basis of keeping the style and rhythm of Tibetan dance, the serfs on stage are designed to contract the movement range as well as innovatively added with images characteristic of pace and posture, such as the drooping upper part of the body, which just stretches out and quickly contracts back in an instant, and keeps breaking away all over again.

2.2 Modeling Design of Arm Movements

The exaggeration, distortion, Abstract ion and extension of arm movements can show the whole image in part and reveal the big theme in small details. On the one hand, such design reflects that the serfs were bound by the dark and backward feudal serfdom system at that time. On the other hand, it also reflects the inner world of the serfs’ desire for free life. The combination of the virtual and the real is just to the point. A single arm is embodied with both multiple purposes and connotations. At the same time, the short-rhythm and fast movement of the upper part of the body, shoulder and arm, which are similar to mechanical characteristics, is also where the charm of the work comes from. It not only contrasts with the next stretching long-line movement, but also creates the contrast between action sections for the structural design of the whole work. Hence, the work becomes more attractive and stands careful reading.

2.3 Coordination of Dance Movements and Costumes

In the use of Tibetan long sleeves, the director has lengthened them to carry out exaggerated artistic treatment and to achieve maximal simplicity on the basis of retaining the characteristics of national costume style. This step not only fully demonstrates the freedom of dancers, but also enhances the visual effect of the stage. The combination of dance movements and costumes forms a new dance vocabulary, which greatly enhances the expressive force of dance and expands the dance space. It plays a key role with its fully and skillfully use. For example, in the section of longing for freedom, the actor instantly transforms the long sleeves in the costume into the sacred Hada holding it on the top of the head, expressing longing for a better life and sincere wishes; at the climax of the dance, the actor’s strong and powerful long sleeves fly in the air, stretch and contract freely, which makes the costume props dynamic and body rhythm highly unified. Harmony makes the audience feel the beauty of the Tibetan’s passionate and unrestrained personality and enriches the inner tension of the work.

3. Dance Composition

Emancipated Serfs Sing Proudly is very rich in dance composition. Dance composition is the dancer’s performance form of dancing movement on the stage and the structural mode of action in the stage time and space. Dance starts from a dynamic “point” and then spreads out, reflecting the inner activity of the characters in a concise and novel way of composition. For example, an actor jumps off the back of the crowd and “pulls” his companions straight to the front of the stage, as if he is leading them out of the feudal oppression towards a free life. Dance formation is both gathered and scattered, both dynamic and static. The atmosphere of the whole dance picture is magnificent and moving in the change of composition. It creates a very rich visual sense for the dance space of the work and is closely related to the promotion of the plot.

4. Dance Structure

Emancipated Serfs Sing Proudly is a work of three-stage structure. It expresses the sincere feelings of the Tibetan serfs through the three emotional structures of bondage, liberation and release. The students should understand the layer of structure of character image and grasp the action sequence of the characters, i.e., from being oppressed, to physical emancipation and finally to spiritual release. In this way, they can get the ladder for the characters to go up step by step.

The first part of the dance mainly shows the situation that the Tibetan serfs are bound under the dark and backward feudal serfdom system. The music and dance are closely combined while the dancers’ movements are strong, fast and compact, who perform contracted movements as the main melody action. In particular, the choreographer uses the method of action contrast here—contrast between the movements of the actors in the center of the stage and those at both sides, high to low, front to back and left to right and contrast between the dynamicity of the leading dancer and the stillness of the group dancers to better reflect the strong emotional collision in this part and to accurately depict the situation that the serfs lost their freedom and were bound in the dark and backward feudal system.

The second part is adagio, which is mainly lyric. There is a beautiful, happy and peaceful feeling in the melodious music. When Erhu starts to ring, the melodious string music flutters like relating a story in the vast and beautiful snow plateau, forming a visual imagination space and emotional impact. The emotions of the characters and the flow of music are closely linked as time seems to be solidified here. This part mainly shows that the newly liberated serfs are full of hope for a free life. They are dancing on the vast snow plateau with white Hada in their hands. The graceful dancing style conveys the Tibetan people’s respect for the snow mountain and their love for the snow homeland. At the same time, it shows the serfs’ yearning for a better life and pursuit of freedom.

On the basis of the second part, the third part of the dance reached its peak, and the whole work reached its climax. “The sun shines brightly and the eagle spreads its wings to fly. As the spring scenery is infinitely beautiful on the plateau, how can I keep from singing...” With this familiar song, the serfs release their passionate feelings. Theme movements continue to develop and repeat in this section. The former feelings of liberation continue to extend to the release of passion. The actors step around, wave their arms and sleeves, and the ups and downs of their bodies and moods fill the whole space of the stage. In order to carry out the world, the actor’s mood reached its peak. Especially when the group dance is passionate, the lead dancer is relatively static. He holds up the sleeves of his companions with trembling hands, and his eyes are filled with tears, like ardently love, sentimental attachment, and loud cry. The bitterness and bitterness of life, the emotions difficult to express in words, are vividly interpreted here, and thus the content of the work is deepened. At the end, in more than a dozen repetitions, a stream of energy gradually converges and increases, accumulating a shocking tension, and finally releasing with the sound of shouting.

5. Conclusions

The overall structure of the dance is clear, the image is distinct and the fluidity is strong. The style of the work is just like that of the snow plateau. It is calm, simple and unadorned, without any technical flaunt, and respects the original style of folk dance, so that the work has a good sense of history and culture. Emancipated Serfs Sing Proudly is not only the traditional aesthetic identity, but also the innovation of the director itself. It can be said that it provides valuable experience for Tibetan dance how to break through the formula and innovate boldly.

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