Dance prodigy defies her age

Gu Jinling, a 12-year-old from Beijing, has become a social media influencer with over 2.5 million followers, captivating audiences with her unique Chinese-style costume dances.

Online, Gu goes by the user-name "Gagaling", which conveys the meaning of being "extremely intelligent and highly sensitive "in Chinese.

In her videos, she imitates the flying figures from Dunhuang murals, portrays themes inspired by Tang Dynasty (618-907) figurines, and draws from the Chu Ci, an anthology of poetry from the Warring States Period (475-221 BC), using Chinese classical dance to bring legends to life.

Viewers are fascinated by her versatile and intricate costumes, stunning visuals, and the rich atmosphere of classical culture in her performances. They are also amazed by her exceptional dance skills at such a young age.

However, as netizens jokingly say, Gu is already an "old artist".She began learning dance at the age of 3 and has been practicing for nearly a decade.

"I have studied calligraphy and played the piano, cello, and guitar, but I didn't find any of them fun. In the end, I realized that dancing is what truly makes me happy," she said.

Gu initially trained in ballet but began learning Chinese classical dance at the age of 6, drawn by its costumes, which she found "even prettier" than those of ballet.

Alongside classical dance, she also explored various ethnic folk dances. "While ballet is elegant, classical dance tends to be more reserved and subtle, and ethnic folk dances are lively and passionate," Gu explained.

However, the subtlety of classical dance is rooted in tremendous cultural heritage. Performing it well requires a deep understanding and appreciation of various aspects of traditional Chinese culture.

Gu's home is filled with books on Chinese murals, which she studies to imitate the expressions and postures of the depicted figures. When visiting different cities, she often tours museums, closely observing the points of exertion in ancient dance figurines.

For Gu, attention to detail is vital in capturing the authentic essence of ancient Chinese style.

For example, in the classic Dunhuang dance pose "Rebound Pipa", the eyes must look downward before gazing far away, conveying a sense of overlooking the world. The "Floating Clouds "dance move, which involves the use of long silk ribbons, requires exceptional control to achieve the desired graceful effect.

Another distinctive and challenging feature of Dunhuang dance is the variety of foot positions, including flexed feet, pointed feet, toes flexed on a pointed foot, and toes flexed on a flexed foot. "I don't feel much pain doing these movements because years of practice have made them second nature," Gu said.

However, transitioning from childhood to adolescence brings new challenges for a dancer. A child's body is naturally more flexible, and movements that once came easily now require greater effort and practice. Since last year, Gu has devoted more time to mastering basic dance techniques, making leg stretches part of her daily routine and regularly attending flexibility classes.

Despite her demanding schedule, Gu does not feel mentally fatigued or unbalanced. Like many teenagers, she enjoys playing with dolls and spends her weekends hanging out with friends, shopping, and watching movies.

"My friends also have extracurricular classes. No one's life is all about playing," she said with a laugh. "I chose dance. The better I dance, the happier I am."

Contact the writer at guiqian@i21st.cn