The Swaying Songstress is a late Sui folk song‑dance that flourished in the Tang. It tells of a man of the Nor…
The Swaying Songstress is a late Sui folk song‑dance that flourished in the Tang. It tells of a man of the Northern Qi, surnamed Su, who pretended to be a physician and beat his wife when drunk. In her sorrow, she sang of her tragedy to the neighborhood as she walked and swayed down the streets. Since the performance combines walking with song, it came to be called the "stepping ballad."