Chongqing Chinese Dragon dancers perform as an opener at the center stage of CMG Spring Gala 2024
At around 8 p.m. last night, CQU's original dance "Shoulongren" kicked off CMG Spring Festival Gala 2024. Rearranged based on the national intangible cultural heritage item "Tongliang Dragon Dance," this dance program as a cultural feast delights global descendants of the Chinese dragon (or Loong).
"A growing number of young people have become bearers of fine Chinese culture." "Taking its original dragon dance performance as an opportunity, CQU wishes everyone a happy new year of the Loong as people celebrate the Chinese New Year on this occasion." "Chinese dragon, Tongliang Chinese dragon, and Shoulongren dance stand as examples of cultural significance and symbolism!" "You are welcome to join the party to celebrate the year of the Loong with the Chinese dragon dance." "Performing the Chinese dragon dance to celebrate the year of the Loong. The Chinese dragon soars over the land of progress and peace." As of today, CQU's Shoulongren dragon dance continues to go viral.
Screenshots from CMG Spring Festival Gala 2024. Courtesy by CQU
"This work of art cannot be created without continuous improvement and dedication. As a great harmony with the year of the Loong spiritually, a year full of vitality and determination, this dance program carries rich expressions and has great visibility. It is not only a breakthrough in dance creation in Chongqing, but also an effective effort that achieved success in promoting cultural inheritance and development by responsible universities who work to deliver natural artistic gifts of skill and spirit at professional platforms." Dong Jinbo, Chairman of Chongqing Dancers Association, indicated that great enthusiasm for traditional cultural inheritance was also evident among the youth groups, who continue to promote the popularity of the Chinese dragon culture through the art of dance.
Screenshot from CMG Spring Festival Gala 2024. Courtesy by CQU
CQU's original dance "Shoulongren" was greatly recognized at the opening program of CMG Spring Festival Gala for its artful presentations with rich connotations.
"The dragon head carried indicates the inheritance of traditional folk art, and the dragon dance preserved indicates the creative development of preserving the spirit of the Chinese nation by succeeding the tradition with modernity. Shoulongren can be interpreted in two ways. First, While maintaining the cultural attributes of the traditional dragon dance, it presents a contemporary show of aesthetic beauty and a stage art work featuring the unique characteristics of the mountain civilization of Bayu." When it comes to the connections and expressions between culture and art, symbols and movements, rhythms and spirits of "Shoulongren," its creator and director, Zhang Xiao, Deputy Dean of the Department of Dance at CQU School of Arts, remarked that it signifies inheritance, continuation, and moreover, our perseverance in culture and its new life.
"From zero to one" in three years
"Shoulongren" secures its place in the final evaluation of the 14th China Dance 'Lotus Award'
Back in 2020, the initial concept of "Shoulongren" was formed based on "Longwu Dazhonghua" (Dragon Dance in China), which, thanks to the great support of CQU and a decade of in-depth research on the "traditional Chinese dragon dance," was honored with several provincial and ministerial awards and funding for major works of literature and art for its cultural significance. In 2021, Zhang Xiao created the dance "Longyao Zhonghua" (The Loong Sores in China), which served as the prototype for "Shoulongren." This work received multiple accolades and positive reactions upon its debut. All these Loong-related works are inseparably bound up with CQU's continuous reflection on the concept of compatibility and symbiosis between folk art, spiritual inheritance, and Chinese culture and urban lineage. In order to increase the visibility of the Chinese dragon dance in the world, CQU, relying on the research on the inheritance and conservation of the Chinese folk dragon dance, has selected the prop form of "Shoulong" as the main carrier, and integrated the contemporary stage creation technology with the Chinese traditional dragon dance routines. With the collaboration of human body and props, the dancers are able to complete the Chinese dragon's movements such as cruising, undulating, tumbling, soaring, tangling and strangling in a constant change. Excel in strength, amplitude, speed, endurance and so on, the dancers can put on a Chinese folklore dragon dance, creating an indestructible and unstoppable atmosphere with soaring Chinese dragons.
Upholding fundamental principles and breaking new ground promote creative transformation and innovative development of cultural assets. In 2023, the original dance renamed "Shoulongren" and ushered in its highlight moment. Sponsored by the Center for Innovation and Development of Ideological and Political Work of the Ministry of Education (Chongqing University), the Shoulongren dance team attended the final evaluation of the 14th China Dance 'Lotus Award' for Ethnic and Folk Dance organized by the China Dancers Association (CDA) in Jinan, China. A total of 401 works from 33 CDA group member organizations, 10 secondary vocational school troupes, 23 new literary groups, as well as Hong Kong and Macao regions were registered for the evaluation. After strict selection by the jury, a total of 45 works were selected for the final evaluation. CQU's original dance "Shoulongren" stood out and was selected for the final evaluation as a result of three years of painstaking efforts. After the competition, the famous choreographer Shan Chong offered her comment on "Shoulongren" that "The work is highly integrated with artistic imagination and spiritual inheritance."
Stills of "Shoulongren" at the competition for the Lotus Award. Courtesy by CQU
Being selected for the final evaluation of China Dance 'Lotus Award' turned out to be an opportunity to appear on the stage of CMG Spring Festival Gala. Stood out of more than 300 programs selected by CMG, "Shoulongren" became the only original dance work performed by a university selected for independent dance show in the opening program of CMG Spring Festival Gala. On January 17, 2024, the CQU Shoulongren dance team officially headed to Beijing to prepare for CMG Spring Festival Gala.
24-day preparations for CMG Spring Festival Gala
Celebration of the year of the Loong with rearranged Chinese dragon dance
"Despite having achieved great success in the art field, we, the Shoulongren dance team, are faced with a whole new challenge in dancing on the stage of CMG Spring Festival Gala, watched by billions of Chinese around the globe." Zhang Xiao, Deputy Dean of the Department of Dance at CQU School of Arts, mentioned that CMG Spring Festival Gala has higher requirements for us than what we have in the professional field, and the form of representation on the stage of Spring Festival Gala differs. Our dance work is probably focused on the artistic tension of dance, whereas CMG Spring Festival Gala demands more on the emotions of the performers, including the details of the facial expressions and the strength of the movements. Therefore, we spent a lot of time in rehearsals to inspire and guide, fine-tune the team's state of mind and expression, in an effort to appear on the stage of CMG Spring Festival Gala in best condition.
With the overall goal of "joyful and auspicious, jubilant," CMG Spring Festival Gala 2024 works to intensify integrated communication of "thought + art + technology." In this regard, 25 CQU's Shoulongren dance team members arrived in Beijing late at night, and then put into a fresh rehearsal early the next morning. After nearly a hundred rehearsals in 24 days, the dance program "Shoulongren" performed in CMG Spring Festival Gala underwent in-depth adaptations in props (dragon head), costumes and make-up according to the atmosphere of the Spring Festival Gala, with 3 editions of choreography.
"It's been a very impressive story for us starting from the Chongqing Dance Competition to the Lotus Award, then to the Spring Festival Gala, and from the initial prototype to the rearranged ‘Loong’ dance performance in Beijing." Participating dancer Lin Xiao mentioned that it took inexhaustible efforts to put on a dance show like "Shoulongren." "Being able to appear on the stage of the Spring Festival Gala cannot be separated from the great attention and support from CQU." Participating dancer Liu Yi, a student of Class 2022 in the Department of Dance at CQU's School of Arts, mentioned tremendous supports from CQU in terms of food, dress, accommodation and transportation, as well as choreographing and rehearsing.
The success of the show at CMG Spring Festival Gala is partly due to the performing team's determination and excellence and also due to the great support of CQU. During the rehearsal period, Feng Yedong, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of CQU, Yang Xinya, Executive Vice Director of the Publicity Department of the Party Committee of CQU, and Jiang Hualin, Secretary of the Party Committee of CQU School of Arts, made a special trip to Beijing to sympathize with the performing team. "This is the very first time that CQU has appeared on CMG Spring Festival Gala in the form of a team, which is a great breakthrough in CQU's undertaking in educating people through cultural initiatives. CQU attaches great importance to the participation of the dance team in the event by taking every effort to ensure success of the team on the stage," said Feng.
Rehearsal of the dance team. Courtesy by CQU
26 years of efforts in training students through art programs
Intensive cultural education experiences foster a foundation for development
"To be an interesting university, it is essential to enable a high level of artistic taste and cultural temperament in a university," said Wang Shuxin, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and President of CQU, when he conducted research on CQU School of Arts in December 2023.
For a long time, CQU has attached great importance to campus cultural education, extensively put into practice the core socialist values, vigorously developed advanced socialist culture, carried forward the revolutionary culture, and inherited the fine traditional Chinese culture. These efforts serve as strong support for fostering a new generation capable of assuming the great responsibility of national rejuvenation.
In 1998, CQU founded the School of Humanities and Arts, and in 2000, the Department of Dance was established, which is one of the earliest establishments of higher education in dance among comprehensive universities in China. CQU has put forward the concept of talent cultivation that includes inheriting Chinese culture, contributing to the national cultural development strategy, adapting to the needs of the industry, and embracing a global vision and innovative thinking. The philosophy of higher dance education of "integrating culture and dance and upholding fundamental principles and breaking new ground" requires that CQU maintain its commitment to tapping into regional resources and honoring the legacy of fine culture.
CQU campus. Courtesy by CQU
In 2019, CQU was approved to host the Ministry of Education's Center for Innovation and Development of Ideological and Political Work in Colleges and Universities, with a focus on educating people through culture. Thanks to the exploration and support of the Center, CQU has continued to reflect on the compatibility and symbiosis of folk art and spiritual inheritance with the Chinese culture and urban lineage. Starting from the original dance "Youlongyin" to "Shoulongren", which was shortlisted for the final evaluation of the Lotus Award and entered CMG Spring Festival Gala, these are not only groundbreaking outcomes of CQU's high-quality cultural education, but are also living practices of continuing the legacy of regional cultural resources. Moreover, CQU has delivered a number of high-quality cultural works, such as the drama "He Lu," "A Letter Home in Chongqing," "President Zheng Siqun," the red revolutionary creative program "Chongqing Entrepreneurship and Innovation," the original song "Standing Firm to Fly," and the original dance "Banyu Tuoying," and so on. Many works such as "Hanfeng Liying," "Weile Wanjia Denghuo," and "Banyu Tuoying" were shortlisted for the Chinna Dance 'Lotus Award.' CQU art troupe was entrusted many times with important art performances in Australia, Thailand, France, Italy, Spain and other countries. In 2022, the Department of Dance at CQU School of Arts was approved as a national first-class undergraduate major construction site.
According to its plan, CQU will continue to promote the initiative of shaping correct values of young people in the new era, improve the coordination mechanism of cultural development, push forward the strategy of enhancing CQU's cultural strength in an integrated manner, and advance the action of enhancing the efficiency of campus culture, so as to continuously break new ground in the work of nurturing people through cultural development in universities in the new era.
It is understood that since November 2023, CQU team of original dance "Shoulongren" has received a number of TV station invitations, including participation in the shooting of a CCTV-1 Chinese new year celebration program, which will be aired during the Spring Festival in prime time.
