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Sogdian Whirl

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Revision as of 06:19, 13 June 2021 by imported>Sol Pacificus (If the point of linking to jstor was to link to a page displaying the book (but not its contents), then we should be using the official site of the publisher, Harvard University Press, rather than a second-hand one. / Even though I myself pushed hard for "Yang Guifei" to be renamed to her real name to acknowledge it, her real name is so little used IRL that it is kind of awkward to start using it *exclusively*. I think in some contexts, it's okay to use her courtly title.)
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An Lushan performing the Sogdian Whirl in 754

The Sogdian Whirl (胡旋舞, lit. 'Barbarian Whirling Dance') is a traditional type of Turkic dance. As its name implies, it originated with the Sogdian people,[1] and it is most famed for its striking spins, during which the dancer twirls in one place with such velocity and grace as to resemble a twister.[2][3][4] When performed at banquets, it was expected to involve a full troupe of Turkic women, rather than being a solo dance.[4]

The Sogdian Whirl peaked in popularity during the Tang dynasty,[1] an era when Chinese society was pluralistic and open to foreigners,[1][4] and it was especially adored by Emperor Xuanzong and his favourite consort, Yang Guifei.[1] The jiedushi An Lushan was a skilled performer of the Sogdian Whirl even when his obesity rendered him immobile late in life.[4] At the Flower Banquet of 754, Lushan and a troupe of female dancers proudly performed this dance upon the request of Emperor Xuanzong, who accompanied it with his own jiegu.[2]

Appearances

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Lewis, Mark Edward. "The Outer World". China's Cosmopolitan Empire: The Tang Dynasty. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 2012.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Assassin's Creed: Dynasty – The Flower Banquet (Part 3)
  3. ↑ Assassin's Creed: Dynasty – The Flower Banquet (Part 4)
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Assassin's Creed: Dynasty – Special 1
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