WHAT IS TIAN XIAN DANCE?
Tian Xian Dance or Heavenly Immortal Dancing is specifically devoted to training Women & Girls for the purposes of creating Excellent Health, a balanced mind and a solid, strong body. This dance style resembles Chinese Classical Dance fused with the beauty and fluidity of Fa Hua Tai Chi, and contains elements of Ballet, Martial Arts Yoga and the snake & crane movements of Ba Zheng Dao Kung Fu. Like Chinese Classical Dance, a Tian Xian Dancer will learn ribbon dancing, fan, umbrella dances, and sword dancing. Additionally, there is the signature Longevity dance, Lotus flower dance and at the higher levels, Chan dancing and 5 colored cloud dance. Women who practice Tian Xian dance also learn the value, philosophy and traditions of Chinese culture.Tian Xian Dance gives the practitioner, and ideally its audience, an internal sense of comfort, serenity, and beauty.
No prior dance experience is at all necessary. In fact, if you have prior dance experience, be prepared for a different type of class! A Tian Xian dancer will practice the basics of the dance, some of which are the same as ballet, but the pacing and technique are different than a regular western dance class. Since Tai Chi is a core part of the foundation to this dance, it is slow, fluid and soft, and often not quite as long and stretched as ballet, or chinese classical technique. However, since it is a fusion of styles, at the higher levels there are movements and balances that require great strength, control and flexibility, much the same as chinese classical dance.
It is also recommended, if a practitioner is serious in learning the style, to train in the Gold Summit Tai Chi classes as a supplemental and technical training for the Tian Xian dance. This style of dance is also encouraging for a variety of ages. Although it can be challenging, a practitioner may begin the class as a mature adult and still gain great benefit. Even a dancer who begins her training a bit older, will have a fantastic time with the beauty of the dance! This is due to the fact that Tai Chi is an important part of the dance foundation, and as such the movements are usually slower, with not as many jumps or double, and triple turns. But don't be fooled by the softness and slowness of the movements- this class is still a workout! Strength, flexibility, and circulation all increase from practicing this dance, even if only once per week!
Tian Xian dance most resembles Chinese Classical dance, but also has a few similarities to Indian Classical dance. And though Chinese Dance and Martial Arts are the solid base of this style, classes usually use a variety of different types of Music ranging from Indian, traditional Chinese, Japanese, Uzbekistan and a modern fusion of these styles.
