Sogdian Whirl Dance

The southern wall of Cave 220 in the Mogao Caves depicts a vast outdoor dance floor with two groups of musicians seated on large square carpets on either side, totaling 16 people. They hold various instruments such as the pipa, guqin, konghou, transverse flute, panpipe, long drum, and cymbals. These musicians sport high topknots and wear jeweled crowns, with their upper bodies partially bare, draped in thin silk shawls, and adorned with necklaces, bracelets and armlets. In the center, two small circular flower carpets feature a pair of dancers dressed in long skirts, waving colorful ribbons as they dance gracefully, their feet on the carpets, spinning and gazing at each other. The dance performed by this pair, characterized by rapid spins, aligns with historical records of the Sogdian Whirl Dance, which is believed to have originated from the Western Regions. This grand musical and dance scene occupies a third of the lower part of the entire wall, beautifully rendered and well preserved, making it one of the most representative images for understanding and studying the Sogdian Whirl Dance.

The Tang Dynasty was a flourishing period of extensive exchanges and integration of musical and dance arts between the Central Plains and the Western Regions. Tang-dynasty dance and music inherited and developed the traditions of many different ethnic dance and music forms, absorbing the flavors of various ethnic groups in the northwest and countries in Central Asia, creating new forms of national dance and music. The dances of Hu Teng, Sogdian Whirl Dance, and Zhe Zhi, which originated in the Western Regions, became widely popular both in the royal court and among the common people. With their lively rhythms, these dances quickly gained favor and spread widely, becoming fashionable at the time.

胡旋舞

莫高窟第220窟南壁繪出一個巨大的露天舞場，兩側方形大地毯上坐著兩組樂隊，共16人，手持琵琶、古琴、箜篌、橫笛、排簫、長鼓、銅鈸等樂器。這些樂工頭梳高髻，戴寶冠，上身半裸，斜披羅巾，項飾瓔珞，佩戴手鐲、臂釧等飾物。中央兩塊圓形小花毯上有一對舞伎，身穿長裙，手舞彩帶，腳踩花毯，旋轉相顧，翩翩起舞。這對舞伎表演的以快速旋轉為特點的舞蹈，符合史籍對“胡旋舞”的記載，表現的應該就是由西域傳來的胡旋舞。這組宏大的樂舞場景占據了整個壁面下部的三分之一，繪制精美，保存較佳，是我們了解和研究胡旋舞最具代表性的圖像。

唐代是中原和西域樂舞藝術大交流、大融合的興盛時期。唐代歌舞一方面繼承和發展了民族舞樂的傳統，另一方面也大量吸收了西北各族和中亞各國舞樂的特長，創造了新的民族舞樂。在宮廷和民間廣泛流傳從西域傳來的胡騰舞、胡旋舞、柘枝舞等，節奏歡快，一經傳入，就深受人們喜愛，得到廣泛傳播，風行一時。