Blooming Seasons - The Art of Creating Traditional-Based Contemporary Dance

Aug 28, 2026

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As one of Hunan Province’s representative traditional dances, Mayang Huadeng confronts the challenge of entering contemporary life while safeguarding cultural heritage. This research develops traditional-based contemporary dance creation through practical investigation and artistic creation. It analyzes traditional creative methods, then produces contemporary dance works grounded in these methods. Data collection combines literature review with fieldwork using interviews and observations, supported by focus groups for expert feedback. The resulting work, “Blooming Seasons,” shows balanced integration of collective heritage and individual expression.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages10

Reading Time25 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Background and significance

Challenges to inheritance and development

Need for innovation grounded in tradition

Abstract

Research approach and methodology

Outcomes and contributions

13 Blooming Seasons: The Art of Creating Traditional-Based Contemporary Dance Jirui Ouyang and Phakamas Jirajarupat* Faculty of Fine and Applied Arts, Suan Sunandha Rajabhat University, Thailand Qianqiu Jin Jiangnan Vocational College of Media Arts, China E-mail: [s64584947028@ssru.ac.th](s64584947028@ssru.ac.th), [phakamas.ji@ssru.ac.th](phakamas.ji@ssru.ac.th) * [and jinqianqiu1391@sina.com](and jinqianqiu1391@sina.com) *Corresponding author (Received: 5 August 2025, Revised: 23 January 2026, Accepted: 6 February 2026) [https://doi.org/10.57260/csdj.2026.282762](https://doi.org/10.57260/csdj.2026.282762) Abstract As one of the representative traditional dances of Hunan Province, China, Mayang Huadeng faces the challenge of integrating into contemporary society while preserving its cultural heritage. Taking innovation as the starting point, this research explores the creation of contemporary dance based on traditional Mayang Huadeng through practical investigation and artistic creation. The study examines traditional creative methods of Mayang Huadeng and develops contemporary dance works grounded in these traditions, ultimately establishing an approach for creating contemporary dance art rooted in traditional forms. Data collection involved literature review and fieldwork utilizing interviews and observations as primary research instruments. The researchers conducted creative practice research employing focus groups to gather expert feedback on the choreographic process. Through comprehensive analysis, this study presents a methodology for creating contemporary dance art that honors tradition while embracing innovation. The resulting dance work, 'Blooming Seasons,'demonstrates how traditional elements can be transformed through creative adaptation of movement vocabulary, innovative development of traditional forms, and balanced integration of collective heritage with individual artistic expression. This research contributes to the discourse on intangible cultural heritage preservation by proposing practical strategies for revitalizing traditional dance forms to meet contemporary aesthetic expectations while maintaining cultural authenticity. Keywords: Mayang huadeng, Traditional-based contemporary dance, Blooming seasons, Creative transformation, Intangible cultural heritage Introduction Huadeng represents one of the quintessential Han Chinese folk dance forms in southern China. Specifically, Mayang Huadeng flourishes in Mayang Miao Autonomous County, Hunan Province, embodying a unique synthesis of Han and Miao cultural traditions. Traditionally performed by male-female pairs with women portraying 'Deng Guniang' (Lantern Girl) and men enacting 'Lai Huazi' (Flower Boy) these performances encompass themes of ritual celebration, romantic expression, and communal entertainment. During the Chinese New Year period, Huadeng troupes traverse communities performing festive greetings, as captured in the traditional saying: 'A set of gongs and drums, a row of Huadeng. They pick up their fans and go out. Thousands of firecrackers come to greet them, and they sing from the first night to the fifth night.' This jingle illustrates the profound affection communities historically held for Huadeng performances (Miao et al., 2023) . However, rapid social development, modernization, and urbanization have dramatically transformed the cultural and ecological environment supporting Mayang Huadeng. The art form faces increasing endangerment and developmental challenges, including declining numbers of performing artists, insufficient successors, limited repertoire preservation, lagging theoretical research, and stagnant innovation in performance content and form. As contemporary entertainment options proliferate, traditional performing arts struggle to maintain audience engagement. Multiple factors contribute to this predicament: the accelerated pace of modern life, the influence of foreign dance forms such as street da

FAQs

What problem does this research address regarding Mayang Huadeng?

It addresses how Mayang Huadeng can integrate into contemporary society while preserving cultural heritage amid modernization, urbanization, and related succession pressures.

How is the contemporary dance creation approach developed in the study?

The study investigates traditional creative methods of Mayang Huadeng and then creates contemporary dance works grounded in those traditions, using literature review, fieldwork, interviews, observations, and focus-group feedback.

What does the dance work “Blooming Seasons” demonstrate?

It demonstrates how traditional elements can be transformed through creative adaptation of movement vocabulary, innovative development of traditional forms, and balanced integration of collective heritage with individual artistic expression.

Aug 28, 2026

Upload by Liam