Introducing Shen Yun’s Classical Chinese Dance Terms Glossary. This groundbreaking bilingual list, posted on the official Shen Yun website, lists dance terms in both Chinese and English.

Here you will find everything from “archer leap” (射雁跳) to “wheel of wind and fire” (風火輪). Whether you want to know the name for “orchid palm” in Chinese, or you’d like a glimpse of the numerous technical moves in classical Chinese dance—this is the list to consult. 

We hope this glossary will be an interesting and valuable guide for Shen Yun fans, dance students and enthusiasts, and all inquisitive minds. Be sure check for periodic updates as we work to make the list more comprehensive and precise. And if there’s a new term you’d like to see included, please leave a comment in the box below. 

 

 

B

ba-zi-bu  八字步  Character-eight feet

bai-lian  擺蓮  Lotus kick jump

ban-pang-tui  搬旁腿  Side-leg hold

ban-qian-tui  搬前腿  Front-leg hold

ban-tui  搬腿  Leg hold

ban-tui-zhuan  搬腿轉  Leg hold turn

ban-zi-jin-guan  搬紫金冠  Back leg hold

beng-jiao  繃腳  Pointed foot

bian-shen-shuang-fei-yan  變身雙飛燕  Split leap into straddle

bian-shen-si-cha-tiao  變身撕叉跳  Switch leap with turn

bian-shen-zi-jin-guan  變身紫金冠跳  Turning firebird leap

 

C

ce-shou-fan  側手翻  Cartwheel

chao-tian-deng  朝天登  Leg hold

chuai-yan  踹燕  Flying swallow

chuan-fan-shen  串翻身  Traveling windmill 

chuan-mao  串毛  Jump into front roll

 

 

D

da-beng-zi  大蹦子  Barrel jump

da-gai-tui  大蓋腿  Extended barrel leap

da-rou-qiu  大揉球  Rolling the orb

da-she-yan-tiao  大射雁跳  Grand archer leap

dan-tui-dun  單腿蹲  Single knee bends

dao-ti-zi-jin-guan  倒踢紫金冠  Firebird jump

dian-di-fan-shen  點地翻身  Tapping windmill

diao-yao  吊腰  Illusion turn

ding-zi-bu  丁字步  T step 

duan-tui  端腿  Lotus leg 

duan-tui-zhuan  端腿轉  Outward lotus turn 

dun  蹲  Knee bends 

duo-zi-man-zi  跺子蠻子  Round-off side aerial

da-tiao  大跳  Grand leap

da-tiao-zi-jin-guan  大跳紫金冠  Firebird leap 

da-wu-zi  大舞姿  Grand postures 

 

 

F

fan-kua-fan-shen  反跨翻身  Lotus windmill

fan-shen  翻身  Windmill

fan-xi-tui-fan-shen  反吸腿翻身  Outward crane windmill

feng-huo-lun  風火輪  Wheel of wind and fire 

 

G

gai-tui  蓋腿  Inward crescent kick

gong-jian-bu  弓箭步  Bow-and-arrow lunge

gou-jiao  勾腳  Flexed foot

gun-mao  滾毛  Front roll

 

H

hou-fei-yan  後飛燕  Double ring jump

hou-qiao  後橋  Back walkover

hou-ti  後提  Back tuck

hua-bang-bu  花梆步  Tiptoes

huan-dong  還動  Leg circles

 

 

J

jian-zhi  劍指  Sword fingers

jian-zi  踺子  Round off

jiao-tui-beng-zi  絞腿蹦子  Windmill hop

jiao-wei  腳位  Feet position

 

K

kong-zhi  控制  Hold, control

kua-dai-tui  胯帶腿  “Hips lead the legs”

kua-tui-fan-shen  跨腿翻身  Inward lotus windmill

kua-tui-zhuan  跨腿轉  Inward lotus turn

kuai-jiao  擓腳  Sickle foot 

 

 

L

la-la-ti  拉拉提  Layout step out

la-tui-beng-zi  拉腿蹦子  Extended barrel jump

lan-hua-zhang  蘭花掌  Orchid palm

lu-xian  路線  Movement path

 

M

man-bu  漫步  Gliding steps

man-zi  蠻子  Side aerial

mao-xiao-fan  冒小翻  Back handspring step out

 

N

na-da-ding  拿大頂  Handstand 

 

 

P

pan-shou  盤手  Hand spiral

pang-tui-tang-shen  旁腿躺身  Standing side split 

pian-tui  片腿  Outward crescent kick

pi-tui-tiao  劈腿跳  Split jump

Q

qian-fei-yan  前飛燕  Pike jump

qian-kong-fan  前空翻  Front tuck 

qian-pu  前撲  Front tuck

qian-qiao  前橋  Front walkover

qian-ting  前挺  Front aerial 

qing-long-tan-zhua  青龍探爪  Dragon claw perch

quan-xiao-fan  圈小翻  Circle back handspring

 

S

sao-tang  掃堂  Sweeping turn

sao-tang-jie-tan-hai-zhuan  掃堂接探海轉  Sweeping sea-gaze turn

she-yan  射雁  Archer pose 

shen-dai-shou  身帶手  “Body leads the hands"

shuang-fei-yan  雙飛燕   (In-place) straddle jump

shuang-qi-dan-luo-tiao  雙起單落跳  Two-to-one jump

shou-wei  手位  Hand position

si-cha-tiao  撕叉跳  Switch leap

si-cha-zi-jin-guan-tiao  撕叉紫金冠跳  Switch firebird leap

 

T

ta-bu  踏步  Ta bu step

ta-bu-dun  踏步蹲  Ta bu knee bend

ta-bu-fan-shen  踏步翻身  Ta bu windmill

tan-hai  探海  Sea gaze

tan-hai-fan-shen  探海翻身  Sea gaze windmill

tan-zi-gong  毯子功  Tumbling, flipping techniques

tiao  跳  Jump, leap

 

 

W

wu-zi  舞姿  Pose, posture

wu-zi-kong-zhi  舞姿控制  Posture hold

wu-zi-nian-zhuan  舞姿碾轉  Posture pivot

 

X

xi-tui-fan-shen  吸腿翻身  Inward crane windmill

xi-tui-zhuan  吸腿轉  Crane turn

xing-jing-shuang-fei-yan  行進雙飛燕  Straddle leap

xiao-fan  小翻  Back handspring

xian-shen-tan-hai  掀身探海  Tilted sea gaze

xiao-she-yan-tiao  小射雁跳  Small archer jump

xiao-tiao  小跳  Small jump

xie-tan-hai  斜探海  Diagonal sea gaze

xuan-zi  旋子  Butterfly kick

 

 

Y

yuan-bao-tiao  元寶跳  Ingot jump

yuan-chang  圓場  Circular steps

yun-jian-zhuan-yao  雲肩轉腰  Cloud circuit

yun-men-da-juan  雲門大卷  Cloud gate twist

yun-shou  雲手  Cloud hands

Z

zan-bu  趱步  Jump front kick 

zhi-ti-hou-kong-fan  直體後空翻  Salto backward straight 

zhong-tiao  中跳  Medium jump

zhuan  轉  Turn, spin

zhuan-ti-san-bai-liu  轉體三百六  Back twist

zi-jin-guan-tiao  紫金冠跳  Firebird jump

zi-jin-guan-zhuan  紫金冠轉  Firebird turn