Dance drama conjures former glory of ancient kingdom

The music and dance of the ancient Qiuci kingdom is a jewel in the crown of silk road culture. And the dance has been vividly depicted in ancient murals in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Now, a dance drama is bringing the legendary music of the Qiuci kingdom back to life.

"The Love story of Qiuci" tells the story of a girl named "lotus", who follows her father's caravan back from Chang'an as they trek to Qiuci. The merchants are dying from thirst, until "lotus" meets a man who leads them to fresh water. Then the two young people fall in love.

The Qiuci kingdom, a tributary state of China during the Tang dynasty, was once hailed as the "Capital of Music and Dance". This performing troupe is a county level art group. Xia Li Bai Ti, one of the top dancers in the troupe, demonstrates some basic movements of Qiuci dance.

Her parents are also performers, so she's been dancing since she could walk. She says the murals at the grottos in the region have also inspired her.

Qiuci's music and dance eventually spread to the central regions, including the royal court of the Tang dynasty. It is said that concubine Yang excelled at this kind of dance, and tunes from Qiuci were performed at the court during banquets. The artform has even reached as far as Japan, Vietnam and eastern Europe.

Nowaday, the influence of Qiuci art can not only be seen on stage, but can also be widely witnessed in Uyghur courtyards, as the instruments and tunes the villagers play all have origins in Qiuci music.