Dance Drama Adaptation of Modern and Contemporary Chinese Literary Works: Meaning Reproduction and Educational Implications
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Abstract
This article aimed to study 1) the mechanisms through which modern and contemporary Chinese literary works reproduced meaning in dance drama adaptation, 2) the educational value of dance drama adaptation in literature teaching, aesthetic education, and interdisciplinary curriculum integration, and 3) the pedagogical implications of applying dance drama adaptation in Chinese language and literature education. Data sources included 14 international peer-reviewed journal articles selected from adaptation studies, Chinese dance and performance studies, arts integration, embodied learning, and drama pedagogy. Research tools comprised a document analysis form and thematic reading records used for qualitative document analysis. Data were analyzed through document analysis, thematic coding, cross-document comparison, and interpretive synthesis. Results were as follows: 1) Meaning reproduction in dance drama adaptation was realized through textual extraction, embodied translation, symbolic reconstruction, thematic refocusing, and contextual reinterpretation. Literary plots, images, emotions, and cultural memories were selectively transformed into movement, stage imagery, music, spatial rhythm, and visual symbols, producing renewed cultural and interpretive meanings. 2) Dance drama adaptation demonstrated educational value across five dimensions: comparative literary interpretation, aesthetic perception, cultural understanding, reflective expression, and interdisciplinary curriculum integration. These dimensions helped learners connect textual reading with embodied experience, visual analysis, emotional understanding, and culturally responsive learning. 3) Pedagogically, dance drama adaptation could be applied through source-text and stage-version comparison, symbolic-device analysis, guided appreciation, reflective writing, scene redesign, and small-scale performance response. These applications extended adaptation research from aesthetic discussion to practical teaching resources for literature, arts education, and general education.
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