Traditional Chinese dance in Gwinnett
Atlanta Chinese Dance Company showcases the diversity of China’s traditional dances
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- Dancer Kerry Lee with a silk fan, one of the many traditional dances from Nezha.
Nezha is the name of a legendary child warrior from Chinese mythology, and it’s also the name of the Atlanta Chinese Dance Company’s latest performance at the Performing Arts Center in Gwinnett this weekend. The show takes a narrative approach to showcasing traditional dances like red ribbon, long sleeves, silk fan, and sword, as well as Beijing opera spear dancing, as it tells the story of Nezha and his quest to defeat the Dragon King. Dance styles from Chinese folk culture are far from monolithic—there are 56 distinct ethnic groups in China—and the show tries to bring a taste of that diversity on stage with a variety of dances from China’s different ethnic traditions including Han, Mongolian, Tibetan, Uyghur and Yi.
Watch a video of the Atlanta Chinese Dance Company performing a traditional ribbon dance after the jump.