CASCultural and Arts Studies3083-39573083-3949Bio-Byword Scientific Publishing Pty. Ltd.10.26689/CAS.v2i2.15410ArticleBefore the First Step: The Generation and Transmission of Embodied Knowledge in Kunqu Yunbuhttps://artdesignp.com/journal/CAS/2/2/10.26689/CAS.v2i2.15410QiMeng2026222026-04-30This article examines Yunbu, a basic gliding step in Kunqu, by looking closely at the short interval before the first visible step. In rehearsal, this interval is easy to overlook. Yet it is precisely there that the body begins to change before movement becomes visible. The discussion is based on rehearsal observation, video review, and instructor interviews. Before the foot moves, small but repeated adjustments can be seen: the knees soften, weight is held rather than immediately projected forward, the upper body settles, and breathing is referred to by the instructor as something to be regulated. These details are not presented here as physiological measurements, but as observable features of training practice. The first step of Yunbu is therefore treated not as an isolated starting point, but as the visible arrival of a bodily condition already being prepared. By following this phase carefully, the article describes how embodied knowledge is formed and transmitted through demonstration, correction, and repeated bodily adjustment in Kunqu training.Kunqu, Yunbu, Embodied knowledge, Pre-movement phase, Somatic transmission

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