The Image of Music and Sound in Xunzi's 'On Music': A Study of Character, Cosmos, and the Cultivation of Rites and Music

Section 5: Exhausting Strength to Meet the Bell and Drum's Convergence ($\text{jìn jīn gǔ fǔ huì zhī jié}$) — Unity of Strength and Measure

"Exhausting the strength of sinew and bone ($\text{jìn jīn gǔ zhī lì}$), in order to meet the measures of the bell and drum’s convergence ($\text{yǐ yào zhōng gǔ fǔ huì zhī jié}$)"—This reveals the dancer must exert maximal physical effort while precisely coordinating with the complex rhythms set by the bell and drum.

This sentence hinges on two key terms: "exhausting" ($\text{jìn}$) and "seeking/meeting" ($\text{yào}$).

"Exhausting" ($\text{jìn}$): To use up completely. "Exhausting the strength of sinew and bone" means deploying the full physical power of the entire body. This shows that dance is not a light or casual affair but a solemn activity demanding full commitment of body and spirit. The dancer cannot be lazy, superficial, or hold back—they must "exhaust" ($\text{jìn}$) their strength.

"Seeking/Meeting" ($\text{yào}$): To demand, aspire to, or seek to match. "To meet the measures of the bell and drum’s convergence" ($\text{yǐ yào zhōng gǔ fǔ huì zhī jié}$) means striving to align with the rhythmic points created by the interaction of the bell and drum. "Convergence" ($\text{fǔ huì}$) refers to the downward movements and the intersection of various rhythmic markers. The target is the precise rhythmic moment set by the combined sound of the bell and drum.

This sentence reveals the core requirement of dance: the unification of strength and measure. The dancer must simultaneously achieve two things: "exhaust strength" (full bodily exertion) and "align with the measure" ($\text{hé jié}$) (precise coordination with the music’s rhythm). These two seemingly simple tasks are extremely difficult to achieve simultaneously.

"Exhausting strength" implies maximum intensity in all bodily movements—wide rising and falling, vigorous leaps, rapid turns. To ensure that every movement lands exactly on the bell and drum's rhythm ($\text{yào zhōng gǔ fǔ huì zhī jié}$) during such high-intensity motion requires immense physical control and rhythmic sensitivity.

We must ask: Why must the dancer "exhaust the strength of sinew and bone"$35 Why can't dance be merely light and elegant, requiring little effort$36

The answer lies in the nature of pre-Qin music and dance. The great dances of the pre-Qin period—such as Da Wu ($\text{Dà Wǔ}$, the Grand Martial Dance, accompanying the music celebrating King Wu’s conquest of Shang)—were not delicate court dances but grand, powerful group performances. Dancers held shields and battle-axes ($\text{gān qī}$), enacting combat maneuvers. The Book of Rites: Record of Music describes the steps of Da Wu:

"When the Martial Music is prepared and its beginning is laid out, why is it so$37 ... Moreover, in the Martial Music, in the first section, they move northward; in the second, they extinguish Shang; in the third, they move south; in the fourth, they demarcate the southern states; in the fifth, they divide the territory; in the sixth, Duke Zhou is on the left, Duke Shao on the right, and they converge, honoring the Son of Heaven."

This describes the dance movements mimicking King Wu’s military campaign against Shang—a large-scale dance simulating military action, naturally requiring the "exhaustion of sinew and bone."

Even in the civil dances (like Da Shao), pre-Qin dance required total bodily commitment. The dancer's "exhaustion of sinew and bone" is not just a physical demand but an attitudinal requirement—engaging in dance with utmost sincerity and full effort, daring not to slacken in the least. This embodies the manifestation of "Reverence" ($\text{jìng}$) as stated in the Analects, Xue Er:

"The Master said: 'Be serious in handling affairs and trustworthy in your speech.'" ($\text{Jìng shì ér xìn}$)

The dancer's "exhausting of sinew and bone" is the attitude of "reverence" ($\text{jìng}$) applied to the performance of dance.