Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v2.c11.s2.t8: Zhang Jun
Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v2.c11.s2.t8
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Zhang Jun
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Zhang Jun (December 1935 - January 4, 2012) is a Chinese dancer, educator of oriental dance and expert of Indian dance. She is also one of the founders of China Oriental Performing Arts Group, and has even served as chief dancer, choreographer and art consultant. She is the deputy of the third and fourth session of National People’s Congress, member of Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, and the committee member of the presidium of the China Dancers Association. In 1991, she was awarded as the performing artist with outstanding contribution by the State Council.
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Group photo of Zhang Jun with Premier Zhou Enlai
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She was dedicated to the performance, teaching and research of oriental dance, has even visited India to learn for eight times, and taught Indian dance in China. She was called “the founder of the Indian dance in China” by Indology scholar Ji Xianlin.
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**Life** Zhang Jun was born in Wuhan, Hubei. Her mother was a professor of classical literature, and her father used to study in Germany, and later worked in Shanghai Research Institute of Culture and History. Since both her parents loved art, she grew up under their influence and showed her talents since she was a child. At the age of 14, she was admitted to the Third Field Army Xin’an Tour Group (later renamed as Shanghai Opera House), to be a dancer. In 1954, she visited India, Indonesia and Burma along with the Chinese cultural delegation led by the premier Zhou Enlai. Under the guidance of Dai Ailian who was the founder of dance in new China, she first learned classical dance from Uday Shankar, who was the master of Indian dance. In 1956, she joined Beijing Dance School (now Beijing Dance Academy) for further studying. She planned to learn ballet from an expert from the Soviet Union, but under the advice and intentional arrangement of Dai Ailian, she turned to learn the dance of India and Southeast Asia, and from then on, she became interested in Indian dance. In 1957, Uday Shankar came to China, and Zhang Jun learned the ‘*Dance of Bouncing the Ball*’ from Uday Shankar. This dance brought Zhang Jun great fame, and was performed in the convention building of China Oriental Performing Arts Group. On November 6, 1957, Beijing Dance School opened the first oriental music and dance class (hereinafter referred to as the “oriental class”), in modern China, and Zhang Jun took part in the recruitment of students and organisation, and served as a dance instructor. Meanwhile, she led her students to learn the dance of nearly 10 countries such as India, Indonesia, Cambodia, Thailand, Burma, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Afghanistan and others. On January 5, 1961, the oriental class visited Burma along with the Premier Zhou Enlai, Zhang Jun and Zhao Shizhong’s ‘*Classical* *Pas De Deux of Burma*’ received a warm welcome from the Prime Minister U Nu and the audiences, and they were honoured as “Burmese princess and prince flying from China” by local media. In the farewell banquet held by the Premier Zhou Enlai, the oriental class headed by Zhang Jun performed the folk dance of many countries. On January 13, 1962, the China Oriental Performing Arts Group was established. As the main actor and professional instructor, Zhang Jun became one of the founders of the group. In 1963, Zhang Jun visited Cambodia along with a Chinese delegation led by Enlai, and performed Cambodian classical dance ‘*Fairy in Spring Garden*’ taught by Princess Norodom Buppha Devi, who was the daughter of Prince Norodom sihanouk, receiving high praise, and she was even awarded medals by the prince, and called “Buppha Devi from China” by the local media.
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Zhang Jun
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Indian former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi with Zhang Jun
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**Study in India** With the encouragement of “master Indian dance” from Zhou Enlai, Zhang Jun devoted her best years to Indian dance. For the same reason she is known to all, but only until in 1980 did she go to India as an overseas student for learning dance. In order to learn more in limited time, she worked for 15 hours a day with her partner, and mastered many kinds of dance within a year. Finally, she obtained the honourary degree of Darpana Academy of Performing Arts. In 1981, she was invited to write entries about classical Indian dance forms, including Bharatanatyam, Manipuri, Kathakali and Kuchipudi for ‘*Encyclopedia of China · Dance and Music*’, later authorised by the Indian Embassy in China to write two entries of Odissi and Kathak. In the spring of 1982, the China Oriental Performing Arts Group first opened an Indian dance class to teach students Bharatanatyam, Alarippu, Odissi, Manipuri and Kathak. These dances received high praise during the public performance of China Oriental Performing Arts Group, and from then on, Indian dance became one of the traditional strengths of China Oriental Performing Arts Group. In addition, Zhang Jun trained singing actors in dance, and enabled them to better perform an India-Pakistan song. In 1982 and 1987, Zhang Jun twice went to India for studies, and within two years, she learned the courses which Indian students usually need a decade to learn. After returning home, she began to cultivate successors, providing guidance to professional actors, and opened an Indian dance class for children from the art guidance centre of China Oriental Performing Arts Group. In 1988, when India’s Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi visited China, he specially commissioned officials from Indian Embassy in China to go to Zhang Jun’s home and presented her with foot bells for dance, and met many Chinese experts, including Zhang Jun in the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse. In 1990, Zhang Jun and her colleague Yu Haiyan jointly launched the “Dunhuang dance and Indian dance appreciation party”, and put the comparative study of dance on stage, which opened up a new situation for the future in-depth study of India-China dance. In 1991, President of India, R. Venkataraman visited China. Zhang Jun, together with Lin Ping, Zhao Xiaozhen, Li Mowen performed Indian dance for the President and his entourage, receiving high praise. Later, she went to India for studyies at the invitation of the President, with her student Su Baohua. During this period in India, R. Venkataraman invited them to the Rashtrapati Bhavan. In 1995, Outstanding Talents-Autumn Evening Party was held, with all modern Chinese masters of dance gathering together. And Zhang Jun and a four-year-old pupil Zhang Mengyang performed Kathak Pas De Deux, letting the audience enjoy the master’s elegant demeanour and see the hope of the future dance. In 1999, Zhang Jun led her students, Jin Shanshan and others to record the teaching video of *Coursebook of Bharata Natya*. The video was awarded “the second prize of the third national education audio-visual products” at that time, and has been popular for many years and it became a necessary teaching material for Indian dance students. In September 2002, Zhang Jun opened a Bharatanatyam course in oriental class in Beijing Dance Academy, and her performance gained the high praise from Indian ambassadress at the time. With her help, the Indian Council for Cultural Relations invited all the teachers and students to visit India, which is made it Zhang Jun's eighth visit to India. Indian dance blossomed in China under her cultivation.
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Zhang Jun with Indian dancer Leela Samson
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**Influence in India** Sarabhai, the President of Darpana Academy of Performing Arts where Zhang Jun and Liu Youlan first studied, was surprised that they only took six months to learn all courses of Bharatanatyam. At that time, Mallika, the daughter of the president, was a little girl. In 2002, when she came to China, she specially went to Beijing Dance Academy in order to visit Zhang Jun, and listened to the Bharatanatyam course of oriental class. Birju Maharaj, the doyen of Kathak, gave Zhang Jun an Indian name Shanu, and called her "stone woman". Because of her spirit and hardwork, she was also admired by all the students from Kathak Kendra. Before she returned to China, all the teachers and students still had a great attachment to her, and students of Darpana came from Gujarat to New Delhi to see off Zhang Jun and Liu Youlan.
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On October 16, 1981, Mrs. Bala, the then Director of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations, entertained Zhang Jun, Liu Youlan, Chinese ambassador couples in India and staff of cultural office at the Taj Mahal Hotel in New Delhi. Mrs. Bala said that "when you have not come here, I was thinking that what you would learn about Indian dance within short period of time. I consulted with Mrs. Sarabhai, and decided to allow to try. Now, seeing you have learned something, I feel very excited." India's *Financial Express* published an article in the special column of "Art Communication" in the second issue of 1982 in which it praised Zhang Jun and Liu Youlan's learning from the ancient sage Faxian and Xuanzang, and in making a great contribution to promoting India-China friendship.
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In 1991, Zhang Jun led a few students to study in India, and learned from Leela Samson who was a Bharatanatyam and Birju Maharaj, the king of Kathak. Those students were only eight or nine-year-olds at that time, but their performance was quite professional. Their performance in Madras and New Delhi produced a sensational effect. In 2003, Zhang Jun led the oriental class of Beijing Dance Academy to India again to learn and perform. They paid a visit to the Kalakshetra Academy of Arts, and also watched the performance of Kelucharan Mohapatra, the master of Odissi. The students' performance once again obtained the audiences' unanimous praise. On January 4, 2012, Zhang Jun died in Beijing. On January 11, *The Hindu*, an Indian national newspaper with the largest circulation in India, published a full-length article to report her deeds, expressing praise and recall.
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(*Jin Shanshan*)