As a dancer of many years myself, when I watch performances of others, more than the pure dance, what always draws me in is the beauty and aesthetics of the stage and performance.
Growing up in a Chinese household, I remember watching Chinese dance shows and performances with my family during festivals and holidays, and I was always intrigued by the visual appeal of these performances, from the costumes to the movements and especially to the backdrops. Thinking about how such dances would look with a plain black background or something more simple, I’ve come to realize truly how powerful the stage setup is in setting the scene of such traditional dances and really bringing the audience to the time period and location of where each dance originated. Below are some still images of such dances:
Born and raised in Shanghai, China, ballerina Yuan Yuan Tan is currently principal dancer with the San Francisco Ballet. Famous within the ballet community, she is well-known for her magnificent technique and ability to perform on stage, but in this tribute to her mother recognizing her undying support for Yuan Yuan throughout her dance career, she chose to use a run-down warehouse floor as backdrop in this dance rather than her typical theater stage and spotlights to really show how far she’s come from humble beginnings to now having international stardom.
In this modern dance, the simplicity and monochrome colors used really help draw attention to the sheer movements of the dancers and the quality of the movements with which they move. In contrast to the dances described above in which color and visual imagery portray the message being conveyed, here, the message is written through the dancers’ bodies and shapes they form.
