Yin, Yang, Chinese Dance, and the importance of Fluidity

The idea of breathing, and its translation into theatre was raised today by Suzuki Tadashi, and his work with Australian Performers and Shakespeare. Professor Aguas mentioned that Asian Theatre required a different school of audience: one that would watch the performer's actions and body language rather than their facial expression and dialogue. Therefore, breathing, and 'grounding' the performer would be one of the most important aspects of Asian Theatre. For example, one of the points Professor Aguas keeps stressing is the stability of the upper body, which does not move as the lower travels (i.e. the 'duck walk')

I couldn't help but think back to Chinese Opera, and the heavy acrobatics that those actors/actresses were required to perform. How would this tie to the idea of grounding? 

What I remembered from listening to Professor Wilcox's presentation (at a club meeting) on Chinese Dance, was that Traditional Chinese dance valued the fluidity of the performer, and the prop they are dancing with, whether it be a sword, elongated sleeve, fan or otherwise. They attribute this to the portrayal of Yin and Yang, the soft and the strong qualities of those on stage. The dancer and prop, flowing with each other seems to exemplify how Yin and Yang oppose each other, yet coexist. Take, say this sword dance, performed in Chinese Opera: 

What I remember from the presentation was that the dancer never opposes the prop in question. What is really valued is how the sword essentially becomes an extension of the dancer. Swings are never stopped mid-stroke   Gravity and momentum is allowed to 'pull' the performer, and they are expected to move accordingly, almost dancing with the prop, resulting in a fantastical display of acrobatics.

Now, I don't remember much from the lecture, but I think Professor Wilcox stated that all of this fluidity, and the development of Chinese dance, was done through a concept known as 'Shi'. 'Shi', as Francois Jullien puts it (in his book "The Propensity of Things: Toward a History of Efficacy in China"), is the notion of potential. Jullien states that is is illustrated by the image of a mountain stream rushing, strong enough to pull down boulders, or a crossbow, tensed and ready to fire. Like these instances of potential, Chinese Dance strives to utilize Shi.

Although China's dance form drastically differs from Japan's emphasis on body movements in Theatre, there seems to be an agreement that the corporeal form (i.e. the actor's body) is what is most important. Whether it is moving naturally with an object, or breathing, and moving to produce natural actions, both seem to understand that emotions, and the body are both connect, and one will always affect the other.