ok, this post is regarding the linkage between Chinese military kungfu and it's alignment with... ballet.

Before anyone goes off here, they are seperate lines of study, but because of the military connection, they are linked.

There is in the chinese military a dance school that operates in tandem with the standard military training. It is harsh training to be sure. Much of the Chinese dance is classical ballet, but of course there is the martial arts flavour that finds it's way into this art form expression.

I was fascinated recently with the story of one of Chinas top "military dancers" a certain Chin Sing. If you look more into her life you will be truly amazed, but that's another subject entirely. The story of her life covered a lot of material regarding the training one recieves in the chinese military. With the cultural schools built into the chinese military, students as young as 8 or 9 years old become members of the Chinese Military and undertake the overall training. Pretty substantial when compared with the west and it's militaries and the training regimens they encompass.

Military dancing is considered a pinacle of the art form in China, with as much interest and merit as the standardized wu shu propogated there. I was surprised.

Anybody else know anything about this and how the military came to the idea of having classical dance as part of its training.

peace