Chapter 13 Chapter Thirteen Han Folk Dances in the Ming and Qing Dynasties

During the Ming and Qing dynasties, there were generally singing and dancing activities in the Lantern Festival or in the Han area.This kind of activity directly inherits the tradition of "shehuo" since the Song Dynasty.However, the performance skills are constantly improving, and the performance items are also constantly innovating. During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, there were many popular programs by folk societies.In the Qing Dynasty, there was a "Beijing Walking Meeting Picture", which provided 18 images of Shehuo performances.The programs drawn in the picture include Zhongban, Tianping, Dry Boat, Carrier, Flower Brick, Open Road, Flower Bed, Double Stones, Cart, Carrying Box, Diyangko, Shaolin, Flower Cymbals, Lion, Stilts, Hip Drum, Stone Lock, and Five Tiger Sticks.Some of the programs are acrobatics, while balance, dry boat, trolley, ground Yangko, flower cymbals, lions, stilts, crotch drum, etc. are all folk dances that have been handed down to this day.

There were also many literati in the Qing Dynasty who wrote some short poems that recorded events and lyrical feelings in a relatively popular style of writing, called "Zhu Zhi Ci".For example, Kong Shangren wrote 60 poems of "Pingyang Zhuzhi Ci" during the Kangxi period, describing the scene of him watching the Spring Festival and the Lantern Festival in Linfen, Shanxi.During the reign of Emperor Qianlong, Li Shengzheng of Beijing wrote "Bamboo Branch Ci of Hundred Operas", describing various performances of "Zouhui" in Beijing. We can divide the Han folk dances popular in the north and south since the Ming and Qing Dynasties into several categories.

"Yangko" is the most widely spread folk dance in Han areas.It originally originated from agricultural labor.In some places, when transplanting rice seedlings, someone beats a big drum and everyone sings together.When weaving the fields, many people held hands and used their toes instead of hoes, pulling weeds as they moved forward.Someone beat drums on the field ridge as the rhythm, and people marched along with the drums.It is said that Yangko was produced in this way.Yangko in the Qing Dynasty is in the same line as the dance troupe "Village Music" in the Song Dynasty.It is not only popular in rural areas, but also in cities. Even the courts of the Qing Dynasty invited "Yangko teaching".

Depending on the area where Yangko is spread, there are Yangko in northern Shaanxi, Yangko in Hebei, Yangko in Northeast China, Yangko in Jiaozhou in Shandong, and Daguzi Yangko.The styles and forms of Yangko are different from place to place.Yangko in northern Shaanxi is bold and vigorous, Yangko in Shandong is tough and vigorous, Yangko in Northeast China is cheerful and prosperous, and Yangko in Hebei is vigorous and romantic... In the Yangko teams of the Qing Dynasty, there were usually people dressed as fishermen, woodcutters, farmers, readers, etc., with fans in their hands. And props such as handkerchiefs.Some of the leaders held umbrellas in their hands, while others knocked on rolling pins.It is said that holding a fan is for "harmony", and holding an umbrella is for "smooth rain".

There are rules for the trembling, shaking, turning, twisting, bending, bending and stretching of the performer's body.The head, neck, shoulders, palms, wrists, arms, feet, and legs must all dance dexterously.Even the eyebrows and eyes should be exaggerated to express emotions such as joy, anger, flattery, and anger.The props in hand should also dance in various patterns such as silk flowers, fan flowers, and umbrella flowers.Yangko is a dance that mobilizes the whole body.For example, the female roles of Yangko in Jiaozhou, Shandong have a saying of "three changes, nine movements and eighteen postures", which requires the skills of "twisting and breaking the waist" and "three bends".Some Yangko is combined with martial arts and opera. For example, Shanxi Yanbei "Kicking Drum Yangko" extensively uses Shaolin boxing routines.Yangko in some places is also dressed up as various opera characters, and can even perform some opera excerpts, so it is also called "opera Yangko".

Yangko performances can be divided into small and large performances.The small field is a small song and dance performed by two or three people.The big field is a group dance with changing formations.The big field must know the running map, that is, the dance team, led by the umbrella head, moves according to a certain map pattern, and running a pattern is a round.There may be hundreds of kinds of Yangko atlases collected from all over the world.There are various nice names for Yangko field pictures in various places, such as the "Double Umbrella Array Picture Yangko" in Tianjin, which has a word of long snake, two dragons out of water, three rings surrounding the moon, four corners of wind and cloud, five piles of plum blossoms, six rotating dragons, seven points of screws, and eight trigrams. Qiankun, Jiujiu Yinyang Fish, Shiquan Ant.

China has formed a huge drum family from the "earth drum" in the primitive society to the drums of different materials, shapes and purposes that became popular in various places.In terms of materials, there are bronze drums, wooden drums, leather drums, etc.; in terms of shapes, there are big drums, small drums, long drums, short drums, Jian drums, drums, fan drums, tambourines, single drums, waist drums, tambourines, and dragon drums. , Elephant Foot Drum, etc.Drum and dance have long established an inseparable connection. Drumming and dancing, in the Qin and Han Dynasties, there were "pan drums", "jian drums" and "drum dances".In the Song Dynasty, drum performances advanced by leaps and bounds, and "drum fighting clubs" appeared in the dance team.

During the Ming and Qing dynasties, various kinds of encouragement were circulated among the Chinese folk.Some drums are held in the hand, some are carried on the body, some are carried on the shoulder, and some are placed on the ground.When performing, people are constantly pursuing tricks, so there are "flower drums" from all over the place. The flower drum dance is in various poses and with different expressions, competing for splendor.The "War Drum" in Hebei is majestic. There are 72 dancers in Shengfang Town, Wen'an County, Hebei, with 72 drums on their hips. Zigu".At the foot of Taihang Mountain in Shanxi, there are hundreds of young and strong villagers carrying flat leather drums with diameter rulers on their chests, and they dance the "prestige gongs and drums" while beating the drums.In Shanxi, there is also a "flower drum" in which one person carries several drums on his back and beats them in turn.Henan has the "War Drum" in Anyang, the "Desheng Drum" in Jiaozuo, the "Kaishan Drum" in Xinxiang, the "Pai Drum" in Luoyang, the "Nine Links" in Xixian County, and the "Monkey Drum" in Sanmenxia.In Fujian, there is a "big drum parasol" with staggered drum umbrellas in groups of four.The "Single Drum" in Northeast China is lively and graceful, while the "Fengyang Flower Drum" and "Shuangtiao Drum" in Anhui are full of singing and dancing.The "flower drum" in Shandong is to tie a three-foot-long tassel on the drumstick, and beat the drum while spinning and dancing. The flower tassels are colorful, like butterflies flying around the body.Gansu's "Taiping Drum" has a huge body, a long shoulder strap, and two hammers to beat the drum, which is magnificent.The "Ansai waist drum" in northern Shaanxi is wild and enthusiastic, and it can be called the king of waist drums.

Most of the drums played in folk songs and dances are double-sided, but there is also a single-sided drum.According to the customs of Ming and Qing Dynasties, a single-skin drum with an iron ring on a wooden handle is used to play the "Taiping Drum" during the New Year.The "Taiping Drum" was popular in Beijing in the Ming Dynasty, and it was mainly performed by children at that time.Liu Tong and Yu Yizheng of the Ming Dynasty said in "The Scenery of the Imperial Capital": "The boy beat the drum, and at dusk to the dawn, he called it 'Taiping Drum'." , the so-called "iron rings ring and drums, dancing in groups, and the end of the year".In addition to children, there are also women in the dance team.

What is related to the drum is that some performers also dance with various percussion instruments, which can be called "sound instrument dance". Brass Dance". It complements the encouragement of Han nationality areas, and the encouragement of ethnic minority areas is also rich and varied.The Miao people have "three drums", which refer to "wooden drums", "bronze drums" and "skin drums".The Miao nationality's "playing the flower drum", the hammer, elbow, shoulder, head, and every movable part of the upper body can be drummed. One person circles one drum, and ten people circle ten drums. It is amazing.The "Long Drum Dance" of the Yao nationality brings the drum's rotation, coiling, coiling and raising to the extreme.The "bee drums" and "yellow mud drums" of the Zhuang people, the "elephant foot drums" of the Dai people, the "creation drums" of the Jingpo people, the "wood drum drums" of the Wa people, the "sheepskin drums" of the Qiang people, and the "dragon drums" of the Tibetan people , the "long drums" of the Korean nationality, etc., all have different styles, and together with the encouragement of the Han nationality, they constitute a magnificent view of Chinese folk drumming.

Drums are played in rhythm.In this sense, "Overlord Whip" can also be classified into the category of encouragement. "Overlord Whip" is said to have originated in the Liao and Jin dynasties.It was very popular in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, and it was also called "Da Lian Xiang", "Money Stick" and "Da Hua Stick".The performer holds a bamboo or wooden stick in his hand, with small openings dug at both ends of the stick, and a stack of copper coins on each string.Beat the limbs, shoulders, and back parts up and down, left and right, and make rhythmic sounds.Sometimes there is a sound instead of the gong. During the "Overlord Whip" performance, there are difficult movements while knocking and singing.This dance is popular all over China, as far as the Bai nationality area in Dali, Yunnan. In the same way as the "Overlord Whip", any object that can produce sound and rhythm can be used as a dance prop.For example, the Zhuang nationality has the "Biandan Dance", the Wa nationality has the "Chung Pit Dance", the Hani nationality has the "Bamboo Tube Dance", the Buyi nationality has the "Bambang Dance", and the Li nationality has the "Chaibai Dance". China's Lantern Festival - the 15th day of the first month of the lunar calendar, also known as the "Lantern Festival". Many folk songs and dances are performed on the Lantern Festival, so it is also called "Light", such as dragon lanterns, fish lanterns, lion lanterns, bamboo horse lanterns, car lights, and boat lights. , tea picking lamps, flower drum lamps, etc. "Huagudeng" is a song and dance along the Huaihe River in Anhui.Its history can be traced back to the Song Dynasty.The Lantern Dance Team in the Song Dynasty had titles such as "Dahuagu", "Sister Lahua" and "Huagongzi", which may be the origin of the "drum frame" and "Lahua" of "Huagudeng".In the early Ming Dynasty, flower drums in Fengyang were very popular, and the "flower drum lantern" was greatly developed. "Huagudeng" is a collective square singing and dancing.Those who pretend to be men are called "Gujiazi", and those who pretend to be women are called "Lahua" (orchid flowers).The props used in the dance are fans, handkerchiefs and fork umbrellas, and the flower drums are used to sing and dance.The traditional performance procedure is that Chasan comes out to sing first, and explains to the audience, just like Song Daqu's "sentence" from bamboo poles.Next is "Introduction", where the drum frame leads the latte art to the end, just like Song Daqu's "Hook Team".The drum frame sings a song to invite Lahua, and Lahua sits on the "embroidered building" (a bench) and sings "Song of Sitting on the Building".Lahua asks all kinds of difficult questions and needs to answer them with a drumbeat. When Lahua is satisfied, she will leave the stage.The two sang and danced, and listened to the emotional part of the Lahua singing on the drum stand, turning their muscles excitedly, or clapping a series of "Putting Lotus Seeds" (clapping feet and dancing).Lahua supported the shoulders of the drum stand, sang and shook, and danced when she was happy. "Huagudeng" was originally a small song and dance for two or three people. Later, it absorbed a lot of martial arts movements and developed into a lively and prosperous scene.There is a wonderful performance of "Pangu", sometimes Lahua has to step on the shoulders of the drum stand. Henan also has "Huagudeng".Due to the differences in the props used in different places, the names are different. For example, Luoshan, Xinxian, Huangchuan and other places in Henan are called "Huolinzi", the mall is called "Chasan", Pingyu is called "Gaolandeng", and Xixian County is called "Waideng". ", Xincai called "fire umbrella". The folk songs and dances that belong to the "lamp" category also include the "carp lamp" in the south of the Yangtze River, the pas de deux "car lamp" that expresses carts, and the "boat lamp" that expresses boats (also called "lotus picking boat" or "running dry boat"). ), the "horse lantern" with a "bamboo horse" around the waist, etc. The "white dragon lantern" popular in northern Sichuan, its "outside field" is composed of dragon lanterns, lion lanterns, horse lanterns, cow and cow lanterns, phoenix lanterns, carp lanterns, 12 "meat lanterns" (lamps held by farmers), 12 "vegetarian lanterns" Lanterns" (lamps held by fairies) are a huge team of lights.There are at least 40 performers, and more than a hundred people.During the performance, the dancers hold various lanterns and change complex formations, such as "two dragons coming out of the water", "rolling dragon holding a pillar" and so on.Not only must you be able to place "picture arrays", but you must also be able to place "character arrays".Its "inner field" is to perform small song and dance programs such as "Horse and Horse Hunting Meeting" and "Fairy Picking Tea", which integrates music, dance, drama, juggling and folk lantern dance. Stilts are an acrobatic dance.The feet are performed on a pair of wooden sticks nailed with a footboard. "Liezi Shuofu" has recorded that Song Guolanzi dressed up as "double branches", "twice as long as his body", ran and performed sword dances.It can be seen that Chinese stilts have a long history.Most of the stilt performers in the Qing Dynasty dressed up as farmers and women, and sang Yangko on stilts.Some are dressed up as funny characters such as Toutuo and Chou Gongzi, and some are dressed up as story characters. "Stilts" are different from "stilts" and "stilts" (inch stilts) because of the length of the sticks.There are also single stilts, double stilts and three stilts for its performance.The most common is the double stilt, in which the dancer steps on two wooden stilts.The single stilt is performed by dancers stepping on the same wooden stilt with both feet. It is called "jumping monkey" in Zhengzhou, Henan and other places, and "single kidnapper" in Qingfeng, Wenxian and other places.Three stilts means that two people step on three wooden stilts, and the middle one is stepped on by both left and right feet. It is called "three legs" in Sanmenxia, ​​Henan. "Inch stilts Yangge" is popular in Xinxiang, Henan and other places. The so-called "inch stilts" are only five to seven inches high, and are also called "low stilts" and "dwarf stilts".In the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the lower end of the "inch stilt" was made into the shape of a woman's bound feet, and the little red shoes with tassels were worn during the performance, which was called the "three-inch golden lotus".Local dry boats, bamboo horses, flower drums, etc. all perform on stilts. Stilts are generally divided into two types: civil and military.The former dances heavily, while the latter performs stunts such as splits and bench jumping.The performances are divided into "big field" for collective dance and "small field" for two or three people. "Dachang" also needs to go to the field like Yangko. Like stilts, there is also "Taige".Taige is a kind of makeup parade, which already existed in the Ming Dynasty.People carry a small stage like a pavilion, and children dressed up as Guanyin, Lei Gong or opera characters are carried on the small stage by people.Some pavilions are also equipped with machinery, which can perform some performances.People can see it from a distance, the so-called "this year's pavilions are prosperous, and tens of thousands of people are watching". There are many records about "Dragon Dance" in historical materials of Ming and Qing Dynasties.This is a folk dance that is popular all over China. The dragon is an imaginary animal created by the ancestors of the Chinese nation.In feudal society, the dragon was regarded as a symbol of divine power and auspiciousness.Therefore, Chinese people maintain infinite worship of dragons.The dragon dance is used to pray for a good harvest and avoid disasters. The play of "many fish and dragons" has been described in Zhang Heng's "Xijing Fu" in the Han Dynasty.For thousands of years, the performance forms of dragon dance have become more and more abundant, and it has reached a very high artistic level in the Qing Dynasty.There are two types of dragon dances commonly seen: "Dragon Lantern" and "Bulong".The so-called "dragon" is generally made of bamboo, wood, paper, cloth, etc., ranging from three knots to more than ten knots, most of which are singular.Those who light candles in the joints are called "Dragon Lanterns".When dancing, one person holds a "bead" made of colored silk and leads the dragon to dance in front of him.Dragon lanterns mostly dance at night. "Bulong" does not burn candles, is light and flexible, and generally dances during the day.In addition, there are "grass dragons" made of straw and willow branches; "bench dragons" decorated with long benches in the shape of dragons; "incense fire dragons" filled with incense sticks on the grass dragons; "Water Dragon"; the "Baiyelong" composed of various lanterns such as lotus and butterfly; and the "Duanlong" whose head, body, and tail are not connected to each other, and each girl holds a section, and dances to become a dragon; Use a pole to insert a bamboo basket or a fence to make a "dragon treasure", "dragon head" and "dragon body", and then use a brown rope on the basket to connect each other to form a "basket dragon" and "a fence dragon". There is also a "dragon dragon" in Chongqing, Sichuan. "Meat Dragon", during the performance, the dragon head dancer holds the dragon head with both hands and leans forward with his upper body.The dragon dancer bows forward with his upper body, and holds the former's belt tightly with both hands.The dragon tail prop is tied to the back waist of the last person.The dancers are shirtless, shorts, and straw sandals.Dragon Dance itself can form a system of its own. The dragon is an animal deified by the Chinese nation.Dragon dances are usually performed during the Lantern Festival, and sometimes when praying for rain.Dragon dance requires great physical strength and flexible skills, as well as the close cooperation of the group.Dragon dance often has to put on auspicious words such as "the world is peaceful", and also dances "Golden Dragon Playing in the Water", "Two Dragons Grabbing Treasures", "Ancient Trees with Roots", "Long Soaring to the Clouds", "Dragon Going to the Sea", "Dragon "Rolling in the pool", "dragon turning over the sand", "dragon coming out of the hole", "dragon peeling off its skin", "dragon showing its claws" and other routines.In conjunction with the dragon dance, sometimes there are "phoenix dragon", "shrimp dragon", "frog dragon", etc., and sometimes "dragon and tiger fight", "fish transforming into a dragon", "lion and dragon dance" and so on. Chinese lion dance has a long history."Lion" appeared in the Three Kingdoms at the latest.When the Buddha statues in Luoyang in the Northern Wei Dynasty traveled, there were "lions" leading the way in front of them.In the Tang Dynasty, there was "Five Lion Dance".Bai Juyi, a poet of the Tang Dynasty, wrote a poem describing the lion dance at that time: "A barbarian with a mask is a fake lion, and the head and tail are carved from wood. Gold-plated eyes and silver teeth are pasted, and Fenxun's sweater is placed on both ears..." and today's lion dance very similar.The lion dance in the Ming and Qing Dynasties has different performance forms and styles due to different popular regions.It is common for two people to dress up as a big lion, called "tai lion"; or for one person to dress up as a small lion, called "young lion".Another person pretended to be a warrior and held colored balls to tease and attract lions. Lion dance performances are generally divided into two categories: "civilian lion" and "martial lion".Wenshi mainly depicts the gentle demeanor of the lion, including tickling, licking, rolling, shaking and other movements, with a delicate and lively style.Some also showed some witty plots, such as a big-headed monk playing a lion and so on.Martial lions express the majesty of lions, with actions such as jumping, plunging, climbing, twirling, stepping on a ball, etc., with a rough style.Performers need to have a good foundation in martial arts and acrobatics to perform highly skilled movements. In addition to the common "lion", there are also "hand-cranked lions" in which one person holds a small lion in both hands; "Lion"; and "Snow Lion" played by Tibetan compatriots. Similar to "Dragon Dance" and "Lion Dance", there are also various folk dances imitating animals, such as Qilin Dance, Pixiu Dance, Bear Dance, Tiger Dance, Monkey Dance, Elephant Dance, Cow Dance, Horse Dance, Deer Dance, Donkey Dance, Phoenix Dance, Golden Rooster Dance, Crane Dance, Peacock Dance, Eagle Dance, Starling Dance, Fish Dance, Ao Dance, Crab Dance, Snail Dance, Turtle Dance, Clam Dance, Frog Dance, Butterfly Dance, etc.No matter what kind of dance, it expresses good wishes for good luck. There is a kind of folk dance in the Ming and Qing dynasties that expresses the image of warriors, which can be classified as "martial dance". Shield dancing has a long tradition in China.There was Gan (shield) Qi (axe) dance in ancient times, and the performative "dance barbarian card" was developed in the Song Dynasty.In the Ming Dynasty, Zhejiang, Fujian, Jiangxi and other places had a kind of "vine board dance". According to legend, it was a variation of the rattan board exercise practiced by Qi Jiguang, a famous anti-Japanese general. Sword dance is also a kind of martial dance that has been passed down for a long time.It is generally divided into two categories: "standing sword" and "walking sword".The sword moves quickly when standing, and calm when it is still, and the dancing posture is full of sculptural beauty.The movement of the sword is continuous, even and resilient.Sword dancers sometimes hold a single sword, sometimes with two swords.Single swords are generally decorated with tassels, dancing with the sword, increasing momentum and demeanor. In Guangdong, Fujian and other places, there is a kind of "English song".Dancers have to dress up as heroes of ancient Liangshanpo, such as Li Kui and Wu Song, to show the bravery and heroism of the people, which requires martial arts skills. Fans are important props in Chinese dance.During the Southern and Northern Dynasties, there were records of singing and dancing prostitutes dancing with fans.Fan dance in the Qing Dynasty has become a special skill.There is a poem "Fan Skill" in Li Shengzhen's "Bamboo Branches of Hundred Operas": "You don't need to wave the palm sunflower to be busy, and the instant noodles are plain. Fold and fold the sleeves that grow in the wind, and watch the light sail turn to Chuxiang." The commentary says: "By folding Folding fans rotate upwards and perform various skills." The performer is a woman, and this kind of folding fan is from "Koguryo" (today's Korea). The skill of fan dance is mainly manifested in "fan flower".The moves of fan flower are very rich, each has its name, such as "covering the top with snowflakes", "holding the moon in the arms", "pushing the window to look at the moon", "running to the moon fan", "mandarin duck fan", "wind and cloud fan", "shy fan". ", "Left and right flashing fan" and so on.There are still many essentials in playing fan flowers, such as "the fan must be hidden when it is pulled, the fan must be flat when it is round, the fan must be shaken when it is shaken, the fan must be held when it is shaken, the fan must be beaten when it is swept, the fan must be flying when it is floating, and the fan must be twisted when it is tilted". Chinese masquerade originated very early.Masks were worn in the ancient Nuo ritual dance to exorcise ghosts and epidemics.Masks were also worn in "Big Face" and "Botou" in the Tang Dynasty.In the Ming and Qing dynasties, due to the influence of opera, some Nuo dances were transformed into Nuo operas expressing stories, but Nuo operas still retain rich mask dances. The feudal rulers of the Ming and Qing dynasties suppressed and imprisoned folk dances, especially restricting women's activities, which hindered the development of folk dances of the Han nationality.However, due to the powerful force of Chinese folk customs and the Chinese people's love and persistent pursuit of dance art, various folk dances still maintain their lives in cities and villages and continue to improve.Therefore, modern dancers can create many dance works with Chinese national characteristics on the basis of traditional dances.