Once, Empress Dowager Cixi had such a special female official around her. Because of her profound dancing skills, she is called "the Queen of Oriental Butterflies". It can be said that her appearance has also made great contributions to the development of dance in China. However, in her later years, the female official chose to cut off her legs. So, who is this female official? What happened in her later years?
This special female official is Yu Rongling, who was born in 1889. Because Yu Rongling was born in a noble family in Zhengbaiqi and Hanjunqi, her social status is relatively high. 1895, Yu Rongling came to Japan with her father. While living in Japan, Yu Rongling learned Japanese dance from the dancers in Hongye Pavilion. Besides, she also studied a lot of diplomatic etiquette and art with some Japanese officials.
Yu Rongling came to Paris with her father when she was eleven. At that time, she had learned the knowledge of modern dance from Duncan. Because Yu Rongling's dancing talent is outstanding, she has also been affirmed by Duncan. At that time, at a young age, she came to Duncan's ancient Greek mythology dance drama and played an important role. Duncan's modern concept of emancipating the mind and pursuing freedom of thought also had a far-reaching influence on Yu Rongling's later artistic creation.
When Yu Rongling was thirteen years old, she publicly performed many famous dance arts in Paris. At that time, she was also called "the Queen of Oriental Butterflies" by the audience in Paris. It can be seen from the praise of the people of Paris for Rongling that although she was still relatively young at that time, her achievements in dance were beyond the reach of ordinary people.
1903, Yu Rongling returned to the motherland. 1904, Yu Rongling became a female official of Empress Dowager Cixi. At that time, because of the reform of Qing palace dance and the high level of Yu Rongling's dance, she was also loved by Empress Dowager Cixi. In the later days, she introduced foreign dance art forms to China through court performances. In addition, she was able to integrate the foreign dance skills she learned into China culture. It can be said that Yu Rongling became the first person to learn eastern and western dances in Qing society by her own efforts.
Because of her profound dancing skills, Yu Rongling was deeply loved by Cixi, and Empress Dowager Cixi later named her Princess Shanshou. Since then, Yu Rongling has also become a court dancer. During her three years in the Forbidden City, Yu Rongling created and performed five or six dances with strong Chinese style. It can be said that under her influence, it greatly promoted the development of dance in the late Qing Dynasty.
After leaving the palace, Yu Rongling participated in many public welfare performances. From this, we can see that she is not only an outstanding artist in her dance career, but also a philanthropist who cares for the people. Through her help, people have a deeper understanding of the art history of the Qing Dynasty. After the founding of New China, Yu Rongling was personally nominated by the Prime Minister as a librarian of the Central Museum of Literature and History. However, it is such an outstanding artist who experienced a catastrophe in his later years.
At that time, the whole China society was in a turbulent environment, and because Yu Rongling was once a popular female official around Empress Dowager Cixi, she was also attacked by the rebels. Later, because she couldn't stand the blow of life, Yu Rongling decided to break her leg and quit dancing. Finally, this excellent dance artist died on 1973.
After learning about Yu Rongling's experience, we can feel that although her achievements in dance are beyond people's reach, her life is doomed to have a certain tragic color because she was born in the wrong era. Although Yu Rongling left us early, her dancing spirit opened a new chapter in the history of modern dance development in China.
It can be said that under her leadership, many domestic dance artists also began to study and study modern dance. Although Yu Rongling lived a miserable life in her later years, it is undeniable that without her appearance, the development of dance in China's modern society would be hindered to some extent.