>> More star news, click to enjoy. The epic masterpiece directed by You Xiaogang "The Secret History of Concubine Yang" is about to be completed. This opening work of the Sui and Tang Dynasty secret history gathers stars such as Yin Tao, Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, Shi Xiaoqun, Lee Jung-hyun, Ye Xuan, Michael Miu, He Saifei, Xu Jian, Li Nian and many others. Since filming began, it has continuously brought surprises to the audience. Whether it's the luxurious and gorgeous costumes of the actors, or the grand war scenes, or the authentic Tang Dynasty culture in the drama. Recently, the show also revealed a closely guarded "secret weapon" — the Feather-Robe Dance, with which Yang Yuhuan captivated Emperor Li Longji of the prosperous Tang Dynasty at first sight.
Top Secret: The Feather-Robe Dance
The Feather-Robe Dance was composed by Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, Li Longji, and is the most legendary dance piece in ancient art. Historical records state: "The palace gates are deep and the night endless, the emerald clouds dance gracefully in the fairy music. A jade flute sounds into the empty sky, the moon full as the palace clock ticks on." The dance that could captivate Emperor Xuanzong has always been a closely guarded secret of the production team. In order to give viewers watching on TV a perfect visual effect of this Feather-Robe Dance, the production team put a lot of effort into the dance costumes of Concubine Yang. Before filming began, they specially visited Yang Guifei's hometown in Shanxi to consult multiple Tang history scholars and experts to ensure the authenticity of the costumes in the drama. While adhering to historical records, they also spent a large sum of money to custom-make the dance costumes. In the light and thin colored silk and embroidered gauze, Yang Guifei's white skin is faintly visible. The white feathers in front of her chest and the hand-embroidered colorful clouds present a magnificent visual effect as actress Yin Tao dances.
Yin Tao: Reenacting the Feather-Robe Dance
Yin Tao, who plays Concubine Yang in the drama, once specialized in dance and has an excellent foundation in dance. Her "good dancing skills" finally found their place to shine. For this pivotal scene, Yin Tao was meticulous, carefully discussing with the dance teacher to strive for every step of the dance to perfectly restore the charm of the Tang Dynasty. According to director You Xiaogang, the film specially invited the dance designer from "A World Without Thieves" to specifically choreograph this beautiful dance based on the character's personality and historical records. On set, more than 40 excellent dancers were brought in to dance gracefully alongside Concubine Yang.
Shi Xiaoqun: The First Dancer of the Tang Dynasty
Adorable Xie Amian, through performing the "Lingbo Dance," became the "First Dancer of the Tang Dynasty." Xie Amian, a close friend of Concubine Yang, naturally excels in dance and music. One of the "Four Little Flower Dan" actresses, Shi Xiaoqun, took great care in portraying this role. She frankly admitted that learning various dances like the Hu Xuan Dance and the Po Zhen Dance in the drama is complex, and while memorizing the steps, she had to dance out the unique charm of the Tang Dynasty, requiring a lot of research. To perfectly present the "dance skills" of the first dancer, Shi Xiaoqun often practiced dancing for up to 4 hours, sometimes even experiencing cramps and swelling in her calves, but she stated that seeing the perfect presentation and beautiful costume in the replay made her forget the pain.
Li Nian: The Dancing Sprite "Music Slave"
Mainland actress Li Nian, who quickly rose to fame through the TV series "Snail House," also joined "The Secret History of Concubine Yang," playing the mother of Concubine Yang, "Music Slave." Although her screen time is not much, as the mother of the concubine, her dance skills are naturally extraordinary. To better portray the role, Li Nian specially studied the essence of classical court dances, transforming the hardships of practicing dance into enjoyment of the dance. In the magnificent palace, Music Slave, dressed in light silk robes, is like a lively dancing sprite.
It is reported that apart from the dance costumes in the drama, the蹴鞠 (cuju), polo, and other costumes of the main characters such as Emperor Xuanzong, Li Bai, Yang Yuyao, Xie Amian, Lady Guo, etc., as well as the costumes of the palace guards, maids, Imperial Guards, and other roles, have over a thousand sets of costumes divided by different occasions and functions. Just the military uniforms of the Imperial Guards have three types according to rank: red, green, and coffee color. And to achieve good shooting effects, each piece of clothing weighs nearly 10 kilograms. The court costumes of the prosperous Tang Dynasty period can all be considered "high-end brands," finely crafted and mostly made from superior silk and embroidery, each piece being extremely valuable. Hong Kong actress Ye Xuan, who plays Lady Guo in the drama, once expressed that during filming, she sometimes had to change into five or six different outfits in one day, and each outfit was very beautiful.