Global Journal of Social Learning
Vol. 2 No. 1 (2025): Global Journal of Social Learning

Ritual Embodied Historiography: Foundational Theory on the Reconstruction of Classical Han Dynasty Chinese Dance

Jie, Cui (Unknown)
Saearani, Muhammad Fazli Taib (Unknown)



Article Info

Publish Date
18 Dec 2025

Abstract

The reconstruction of ancient Chinese dance, particularly from the Han Dynasty period, faces epistemological, material, and cultural challenges due to the scarcity of archives and the fragmentation of visual and textual sources. This study analyses three contemporary reconstruction works—Tonque Ji (Sun Ying), Han Painting Dance Experimental Performance (Liu Jian), and the Yong Dance Series (Tian Tian)—employing a grounded theory approach to map conceptual patterns in dance reconstruction practices. The findings propose the conceptual model of Ritual Embodied Historiography (REH), which frames reconstruction as an embodied historiographical process, wherein the body functions as a living archive, an affective medium, and a site of symbolic reactivation through engagement with material artefacts and contemporary sociocultural contexts. The study indicates that Han dance reconstruction cannot be fully understood through conventional Western frameworks but requires approaches grounded in cosmology, Confucian ritualism, and Eastern epistemology. The model extends global dance reconstruction scholarship by emphasising the body’s role as an agent of historical knowledge production in performance practice.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

gjsl

Publisher

Subject

Arts Humanities Environmental Science Social Sciences Other

Description

Global Journal of Social Learning (GJSL) adalah jurnal multidisipliner yang terbit dua kali setahun, yaitu setiap bulan Desember dan Juni, dengan versi online yang dapat diakses secara terbuka. Jurnal ini merupakan jurnal ilmiah dan akademik yang telah melalui proses peer review, bersifat akses ...