Loyalty dance
The loyalty dance (Chinese: 忠字舞; pinyin: Zhōngzì wǔ; lit. 'loyalty character dance'), was a collective dance usually performed in public places like plazas and squares, or during parades in the Cultural Revolution of the People's Republic of China.
In the late 1960s, Chairman Mao's cult of personality reached new heights, with citizens performing "loyalty dance" to express their loyalty to the leader.[1][2]
Characteristics
[edit]The loyalty dance was one of the main activities during the Cultural Revolution and was an integral part of the "Mao Zedong's cult of personality".[3][4]
This simple dance did not involve much more than stretching one's arms from the heart to Mao's portrait, with movements originating from a folk dance popular in Xinjiang. It was frequently accompanied by revolutionary songs including "The East is Red" (东方红), "Beloved Chairman Mao" (敬愛的毛主席), "Golden Hill of Beijing" (北京的金山上), "Sailing the Seas Depends on the Helmsman" (大海航行靠舵手) or songs of quotations from Chairman Mao. Some lyrics included the quote "No matter how close our parents are to us, they are not as close as our relationship with Mao", which was used to inspire a spirit of collective worship.[5]
A notable slogan related to the Loyalty dance was the "Three Loyalties" (三忠于): loyalty to Chairman Mao; loyalty to Mao Zedong Thought; loyalty to Chairman Mao's revolutionary line.[6] The loyalty dance was an everyday fixture of life in the late 1960s, which was practiced in order to display one's lifelong devotion to Mao Zedong and exercise total discipline.[5]
History
[edit]The loyalty dance appeared soon after the Cultural Revolution started in 1966. In 1968, the "Three Loyalties" activities reached a climax in various places. The model operas were sung and the "loyalty" dance were performed widely all over the country.[3]
People from various backgrounds, including miners, office workers, toddlers, and even elderly women with bound feet, were expected to perform this dance. The movements were always directed toward the sky, symbolizing respect for Mao.[2]
After the 9th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party in April 1969, the dance gradually declined. By the 70's it was fleeting, and as the Cultural Revolution came to an end in 1976, it rapidly waned.[5]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Walder, Andrew G. (2015-04-06). China Under Mao: A Revolution Derailed. Harvard University Press. p. 12. ISBN 978-0-674-28670-2. Archived from the original on 12 December 2021. Retrieved 12 December 2021.
- ^ a b Jennifer Lin (May 2009). "Dancing for Mao". Smithsonian.
- ^ a b 黎劲风 (Li Jinfeng). "我的"文革"岁月之红歌与忠字舞" [The Red Song and Loyalty Dance of My "Cultural Revolution" Years] (in Chinese). 香港中文大学 (Chinese University of Hong Kong). Retrieved 2021-04-08.
- ^ "文革50年反思: 唱红歌、跳忠字舞, 中共缘何造神?" [Reflection on the 50th Year of the Cultural Revolution: Singing red songs and dancing loyalty, why did the CCP create gods?]. Radio Free Asia. Retrieved 2021-04-08.
- ^ a b c Nguyen-Okwu, Leslie (12 December 2016). "Hitler Had a Salute, Mao Had a Dance". OZY. Archived from the original on 19 March 2020. Retrieved 3 February 2020.
- ^ Gang, Qian (2020-04-09). "The Delicate Dance of Loyalty". Modern Chinese Literature and Culture Resource Center. Archived from the original on 12 December 2021.
