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Formative period. Singing and dancing were performed at the Chinese court as early as the Chou dynasty (C.1111-255 BC). An anecdote describes a case of realistic acting in 402 BC, when the chief jester of the court impersonated mannerisms of a recently deceased p ....

Middle of Essay
.... puppets in later years. T’ang period. The emperor Hsuan-tsung showed interest in the performing arts, stimulating many advances in stage arts during the T'ang dynasty(618-907). More than a thousand pupils were enrolled in music, dance, and acting schools. Spectacular masked court dances and masked Buddhist dance processions that soon were learned by Korean and Japanese performers were part of court life. Three types of play are recorded as having been popular. Tai-mien (“Mask”) was about Prince Lan Ling, who covered his gentle face with a horrifying mask to frighten his enemies when he went into battle. Some suggest the colourful painted ....