About Song of Rainbow Skirt & Feathered Dress from SACRIFICE - The Sacrifice of Yang GuiFei

Love Duty Destiny treachery Betrayal Sacrifice

Also known as Song of Rainbow Skirt & Feathered Dress, Dance of Rainbow Skirt & Feathered Dress 霓裳羽衣舞 was composed between 718 and 720 AD. It was a masterpiece of the Tang Dynasty Daqu (a type of music popular at that time) featuring the essence of the Tang Dynasty songs and dances.

Rainbow Skirt & Feathered Dress

Courtesy of the Shanghai News and Press Bureau
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Dance of Rainbow Skirt & Feathered Dress depicts the elegant dancing movements of fairies in the moon. In the Chinese folk culture, there are even legends saying that the composition is from the palace on the moon. The piece is a combination of homegrown music of the Tang Dynasty and the music of the Western Regions. Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty was well versed in music. On hearing the Brahman Melody from the Western Regions, he was enchanted by the music and recomposed it by adding some local elements from the central plains. And he renamed the tune Dance of Rainbow Skirt & Feathered Dress. The birth of this piece indicated the large scale and variety of the Tang Dynasty Daqu. Meanwhile, its artistic expression reflected the great achievements in the court music of the Tang Dynasty.

It is said that the dancing movements featured in Dance of Rainbow Skirt & Feathered Dress were in part based on those of the flying fairies in Shaanxi and Dunhuang murals. The dancers are supposed to imitate the postures of fairies, putting on a marvelous show. Legend has it that the most favored concubine of Emperor Xuanzong -- Lady Yang Yuhuan (Yang GuiFei) had extremely beautiful poses when dancing to the tune. The dancing costume was so gorgeous that later generations made "rainbow skirt & feathered dress" a synonym with beautiful clothes.

Dance of Rainbow Skirt & Feathered Dress was lost after the An Shi Rebellion. During 1186 AD of the Southern Song dynasty, a Chinese poet named Jiang Baishi came across 18 sections of music score of the piece in Changsha. Thus, the score has been handed down. The score he discovered is the first prelude of Dance of Rainbow Skirt & Feathered Dress.

Explore the Main Characters:


The Emperor Tang XuanZong	The Princess Yang GuiFei	The Prince Li Mao	The Barbarian An Lushan	The Servant Gao Lishi	The Chief Minister Yang Guozhong	The Poet Li Bai

Also learn a little about the Tang dynasty, it's capital city Chang'An (near Xi'an), or the Huaqing Hot Spring. Also see some Design References we are compiling for the musical.

The Sacrifice of Yang GuiFeiis the story of Emperor Xuanzong (of the prosperous Tang dynasty 618-907 AD) who brings 杨贵妃 Yang GuiFei, one of China’s most beautiful women, into his court as a concubine When they adopt China’s greatest villain, the barbarian An Lushan, their fateful triumvirate creates China’s greatest love story. Producer Toby Simkin optioned the worldwide rights almost immediately after hearing the score in early 2008 “it’s a powerful, sometimes shocking story, filled with a roller coaster of emotions from brutality to sweet and innocent love, building to a climax with The Emperor’s agonizing decision: save the woman he loves, or sacrifice her to save his dynasty – Richard Daniel’s remarkable score carries the audience through this cavalcade with a fabulous mix of Chinese and Western instruments.” 一个全新电影制作项目即将到来,由屡获大奖的英国团队创作并得到中方支持。电影牺牲》，讲述的是中国历史上最伟大的皇帝遇上中国古代四大美女之，并遭遇中国最大恶人之间的故事。所有这一切构成了中国历史上最伟大的爱情故事 <<牺牲>>. The true story of Yang Gui Fei 杨贵妃, one of the Four Ancient Beauties of China, is famous for her role in the demise of the Tang dynasty. TOBY SIMKIN (Producer) is a theatrical producer who has over 25 years of 1st-class producing or managing experience of entertainment projects with over 120 Broadway/West End shows and tours from Annie to Victor/Victoria in the USA, Canada, UK, Russia, Australia, China and oceans between. From many Tony Award winning productions on Broadway to Olivier Award winning productions on London’s West, Mr. Simkin is a leader in the field of theatrical producing, management and marketing. Mr. Simkin is additionally credited with leading the theatre industry into cyberspace in the early 90's. Mr. Simkin maintains a residence in Shanghai, developing new opportunities for global entertainment where he owns a Chinese corporation - Shen Tu Bin Business Consulting (Shanghai) Co. Ltd..