After the stunning opening dance at Xiaoxiang Tower, the performances by the noble ladies that followed seemed somewhat lackluster by comparison.
However, the Emperor was in a rare, relaxed mood and graciously praised the performances of all the young ladies. Among them was Ming Yan, the daughter of the Secretariat Drafter. During the previous palace banquet, she had prepared a newly learned "jazz dance," but the event had ended in discord due to Zheng Zihe’s framing of Shu He, leaving her painstaking preparations unused. Now that the Royal Hunt was underway, she finally had a chance to show off her skills, and she danced with all her might.
Jazz dance, however, has strict requirements for a performer's technique and rhythm. Whether dealing with syncopation, dotted notes, or various rhythmic shifts, a dancer must follow the beat with precision and clearly express it through physical movement to imbue the dance with dynamism and rhythm. Ming Yan had evidently only grasped the superficial elements. Not only was her timing imprecise, but her transitions were clunky. Missing her beats left her expression visibly flustered and insecure, completely failing to convey the charm and confidence that the genre required. She turned what should have been a lively dance into something hurried and tense, making it uncomfortable to watch—it was an utter train wreck.
Chapter 623