To the trained eye, classical Chinese dance and ballet are as different as night and day, but to the average theater-goer, it can be easy to mistake classical Chinese dance for ballet, especially since even dance schools and companies in China are using a combination of ballet and classical Chinese dance.
In a Shen Yun Zuo Pin video, Angelia Wang, principal dancer with New York-based Shen Performing Arts, clarifies this confusion by contrasting the six differences between classical Chinese dance and ballet.
Classical Chinese dance is tightly bound to China’s 5,000 years of civilization, dynasty after dynasty enriching the art form. A dancer who has this culture and history imbedded within holds the ability to express such beauty….