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

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.‎