Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v2.c11.s1.t7.15

v2.c11.s1.t7.15

**Bharatanatyam in China** People who first brought the concept of Bharatanatyam to modern China is the Chinese dancer, Dai Ailian. Under the entrustment of premier Zhou Enlai, she opened an oriental music and dance class in Beijing Dance Academy in the 1950s, preparing for the opening up of China’s cultural diplomacy road. In the meantime, she even visited India, and brought back many teaching materials of Bharatanatyam to China. During this period, Zhang Jun, the expert on Indian dance, stood out. Zhang Jun studied in India four times, and mastered the systematical techniques of Bharatanatyam, and these techniques were more widely used after her graduation. The repertoire ‘*Alarippu*’ of China Oriental Performing Arts Group was her initial dance. In 1991, Zhang Jun led three students to perform Bharatanatyam for the Indian President, Ramaswamy Venkataraman who visited China, and received his praise. In 2002, Zhang Jun taught Bharatanatyam in the oriental music and dance class in Beijing Dance Academy, and in 2004, wrote the book ‘*Coursebook of Bharatanatyam*’. In addition, there were many people learning this dance form in India, such as Liu Youlan, Zheng Yun, Su Baohua, Lin Ping, Yu Feifei and others. Jin Shanshan, a Bharatanatyam dancer, has had excellent performances on stage in China now, and learned from Zhang Jun and Su Baohua when she was young. Because of her love for Bharatanatyam, she went to Peking University to study Indian language and culture. In 1994, she went to India for further studies, and while learning Hindi, she also learned Bharatanatyam. Jin Shanshan is one of the most brilliant students of Leela Samson. She held a solo dance performance in New Delhi in 1998, and later became the performer of Spanda dance troupe created by Leela, which is well-known in India and even across the world. In 2000, Jin Shanshan served as the dance demonstrator of Zhang Jun in her tutorial teaching demonstration video discs ‘*Coursebook of Bharatanatyam*’. In 2002, she assisted Zhang Jun’s teaching of Bharatanatyam in the oriental music and dance class in Beijing Dance Academy. In 2005, Jin Shanshan established Sangeetham Indian Classical Art Centre, and began to cultivate new emerging forces. Her students were not only from China, but also from India. In 2009, she led her students to perform Bharatanatyam for heads of state from India and China, receiving high praises.