Author Li Qian Chu music and dance art as China's ancient music and art of an oddball, is the Spring and Autumn and Warring States period of the Chu nation in the process of its historical development, to the middle reaches of the Yangtze River as the cradle, mixing and blending of the Central China and Summer rituals and culture and the southern barbarians and the witch wind tradition and the formation of a local music and dance art system. It is different from the traditional music and dance style of the Central Plains of China, and also different from the witch ritual music and dance of the Yangtze River Valley such as Ba Shu and Wu Yue in the same period. It has both the rational civilization of the Central Plains tradition and the primitive vitality of the barbarian art in the south. The artistic characteristics formed on this basis are enough to compete with the culture of the Central Plains and to be sung by the descendants for thousands of years in the style of Romanticism. Although the art of Chu music and dance quietly passed away in the historical stage because of the characteristics of time and space, the high level of Chu music and dance has not only been proved in the literature, but also appeared in the unearthed literature. Romance must be called Chu, say Chu must be listed witch wind music and dance. Rich romantic interest of the chu people, love music and dance. Compared with the central plains, chu music and dance undoubtedly has a strong local characteristics, and directly from the entertainment of god witch sound witch dance. The Han Dynasty Wang Yi in his book "Chu Rhetoric Chapter and Verse" said: "Chu country south of Ying, between Yuan and Xiang, its customs believe in ghosts and good shrine, the shrine must be made song and music inspired to music gods." Music, dance and poetry were the main manifestations of primitive religious activities. Poetry speaks of its will, song chants its words, and dance moves its face. Chu people heavy obscene rituals, and all the rituals must carry songs and dances. Therefore, at that time, Chu is known as the home of song and dance. From Qu Yuan's "Nine Songs", we can imagine the colorful art of song and dance and the bustling scene of the eight tones played together. Chu song and dance, from the Chu folk rituals to gods and ghosts in the art of soil sprouting, development. At first, the Chu music and dance entertainment is relatively strong. But gradually, this art of entertaining the gods gradually detached from the religious significance of the entertainment.
Chu music and dance according to the nature of music and dance performance, performance and function can be roughly divided into two categories: one is the folk ritual music and dance, in order to sacrifice to the gods and ghosts for the main purpose, with a very strong witch sound color, "Chu Rhetoric - Jiu Ge" has made a vivid account; the second is the court music and dance for the ruler to feast and drink and enjoy the use of the ruler, to "entertain" for the main purpose. The second is the palace music and dance, which was used by the rulers for feasting and enjoyment, with the main purpose of "entertaining people". Recruitment of soul", "big move" recorded in this kind of music and dance have the Zhou dynasty elegant music, folk "country music", and chu and all over the "new sound". Chu music and dance has the characteristics of the fusion of Chu, Chu, foreign, folk, court intricate intermingling, which was able to form the Chu music and dance one of the main factors in the prosperity of the situation.
Chu is a vast country, many ethnic groups, ethnic and folk music in a variety of forms. Said Yuan - good to say" contains a "song of the Yue people", we can not know today how its tune, but from its Chu translation of the lyrics, is certainly a love song, singing when it is very beautiful and beautiful. Xiangyang Jiehao biography: "Song Yu know the sound and good writing, King Xiang good music and love Fu, both the beauty of its talent and hate it like Qu Yuan also, was said: 'Zi a?' from the customs of the Chu, so that the Chu people noble son of the virtue of it? Said: 'In the past, Chu had a good singer, the king heard with? Beginning and said: 'The Lower Li Ba Ren', the state sang and harmonized with tens of thousands of people.'" According to what Song Yu said next, even when he sang "White Snow in Yangchun" and "Fish in the Morning Sun", which were "absolute and rhythmic songs", there was no shortage of people who sang and harmonized with him in the country. Gleaner's Record" has "Xiaoxiang Dongting music, the listener forgets the old, although the "salty pool", "xiao shao" can not be compared to the record, indicating that the Chu people are highly endowed with music, and the popularity of music is quite high. Chu's developed music, not only the "Song of Songs" recorded in great detail, and has been known for the Zeng Houyi Tomb unearthed 8 kinds of 124 pieces of ancient musical instruments confirmed that the degree of its development has long been more than "five sounds Fenxuifangxian will be.
Divine or religious ceremonies have always been the most natural and rich source of artistic creation. The first artistic product it produced was dance. Primitive dance was the main tool of religious expression, and the earliest singers and dancers were the clergymen - the witches. Chu wizards were particularly wonderful, and they had a multiplicity of functions, not comparable to those of the northern states. According to paleographers, the character for "witch" is a pictogram for a dancer holding a feather. The Shuowen explains witch as "one who surrenders the gods by dancing." The evolution of the word "witch" illustrates the relationship between religion and song and dance. Witch holds the power of the gods, and is also known as a healer. Witches in Chu "actually sing and dance for the job", the purpose is to "music to the gods", its function, as the "Guoyu - Chu language" recorded under Wang Sun圉 cloud, lies in the "up and down on the ghosts and gods, to the way they want to be evil", of course, to some of the fluttering gods. Of course, there should be some floating flavor of the gods. Particularly praiseworthy is the introduction of witch into the court, personally holding the feather sash, with the drums dancing Chu Ling Wang, his greatest contribution to the elegance of the temple and the village custom, the court art and folk art organically integrated.
Chu music and dance to pursue the exquisite decoration, the scene of the dazzling, image of the moving. The accompaniment of the witch dance, according to the "Nine Songs", is based on drums. As depicted in the epilogue of the Nine Songs, "The Soul of Rites", "The rituals are made and the drums are met; the bar is passed on and the dance is performed on behalf of the? Women advocate Ruoxi Yung and." To date, the drum is still an indispensable accompaniment to local Chu opera, operas and folk songs. Some folk art activities are directly named after drums, such as "digging mountain drums", "inserting field drums", "grass-gathering gongs and drums", "playing funeral drums ", "Mourning Drums", "Returning Drums and Wishes" ...... In the opera "Haunting Drums and Drums In the opera, "the drums and gongs on the stage", the drums have the role of commanding all the instruments. The dance of the Chu Witch has "Ba" and "Feather", that is, the so-called "Passing Ba Ruoxi Dance" (Ba is Ba, referring to flowers), and "Bow holding the feather sash". The "feather sash". Whenever the festivals, Chu male wizards and witches, one by one, wearing colorful costumes, smoked with fragrant spices, hand in hand with brilliant flowers and pheasant feathers, with the drums of the XuZhouChangChang singing and dancing, to entertain the gods. Early witch dance, mainly used to serve the gods and ghosts, it maintains the dignity of the theocracy superstition, is the ancient religious dance, and later Chu circulated the Duan Gong dance, as well as now in western Hubei, Xiangxi Tujia, Miao, Yao some folk ritual dance, it is the pre-Qin Ch'u witch dance of the remnants of the dance.
Beyond the folk ritual dance, the court music and dance of Chu was much more grandiose. The Chu Rhetoric "invoke the soul" and "great invocation" of the Chu court music and dance made an image and vivid depiction. The Recruitment of Souls" wrote: "The dishes are not yet passed, and the women's music is some. The bells and drums of the Chu court were sung in new songs. Wading in the river", "picking diamonds", "Yang lotus" some of the hair. ...... two eight Qi Rong, up Zheng dance some. Obeisance is a part of the program, but it is also a part of the program. The court was shocked and sent out the "Exciting Chu". The court was shocked and sent out the "Exciting Chu". Wu? Cai Acura, play the big Lu some. ...... clang bell shaking? The first time I saw this, I was in the middle of it, and I was in the middle of it. The Great Recruitment" wrote: "Voltaic drama "driving defense", Chu "Laoshang" only. Acura and "Yang A", Zhao xiao chan only. The soul is returning, and the empty mulberry only. The two or eight of the martial arts, casting poems and assignments only, knocking bells and chimes, entertaining people mess only. The four tops are competing with each other, and the sound is changing. The soul is returning. Listen to the songs." Wading in the River", "Cai Ling", "Yang Ho", with the flavor of the water town, according to Wang Yi, "Chapter and Verse", "Chu people songs also". Driving defense "," Laoshang ", Chu ancient song name. Excitement Chu", according to Zhu Xi "set of notes": the name of the song and dance, that is, Han Gaozu said the Chu song and dance. It is said that Confucius had heard "shao music" and "three months do not know the taste of meat", coincidentally, the Chu people also feel the beauty of the music and dance into the "viewers? Ruoxi forget to return" realm, that is, to show a kind of intoxication in the artistic beauty of the state of mind.
Spring and Autumn and Warring States Periods, Chu also has a drum dance, cultural dance, martial arts dance, excellent dance. The "Drum Dance" is a ritual entertainment dance accompanied by drums, with witches dancing to the beat of the drums, accompanied by singing. Hubei Suixian Zenghouyi tomb unearthed on the lacquer-painted mandarin ducks pot, there is a person on the drums, a dance scene, the shape of peculiar, bold action. The shape of the drum in the painting, is the animal seat decorated with flags and feathers, which is similar to the shape of the drum in the Nanyang Han portraits. The drumming scene is generally two people drumming and dancing with a higher degree of skill, which shows the different stages of the development of the art of drumming compared to the two. The custom of the dance has been passed down in the Yuan-Xiang area for a long time, and the poet Liu Yuxi in the Tang Dynasty, when he was relegated to Langzhou (Changde, Hunan Province), still saw the scene of the "dance". It is said that some places in Hunan and Guizhou still retain this custom. The "Wen Dance" is also known as the "Summer Blow", in which the dancers carry banners and feathers in their hands. According to Huan Tan's "New Treatise", "King Ling of Chu believed in the way of witchcraft, and danced in front of the altar with his banner and sash in his hand. When the Wu people came to attack his country, the king danced freely." This "carrying a feather sash" of the King of Chu Ling, loved the Wen dance can be said to be intoxicated to the point. Wen dance is also a kind of witch dance, religious dance, with a strong ritual color. "Wu dance" is also known as "Dawu", that is, Ganqi dance. Zuo Zhuan - Zhuang Gong 28" records: "Chu Yin Zi Yuan wants to compel Mrs. Wen, for the Museum in its palace side, and Zhen Wan Yan. The lady heard, sobbing, said: 'the first ruler to dance also, practice military preparation also.'" Du note: "Wan, dance." The Records of the First Learning cited the Han Poetry: "Wan, the great dance." The Da Dai Li Ji (Records of the Great Dai Rites) and Xia Xiao Zheng (Xia Xiao Zheng) said, "Wan is also the dance of Gan Qi." From this, we can see that "Zhenwan" here is an alternative name for the music of Dawu. According to "Lv's Spring and Autumn Annals - Ancient Music" contains: "King Wu on the throne, with six divisions to attack Yin, six divisions have not yet arrived, with the sharp troops in the Makino. Returning to ...... was ordered the Duke of Zhou to make Dawu." The music of Dawu in the Zhou Dynasty was choreographed with reference to the songs and dances of the Ba people on the battlefield. "Huayang Guozhi - Ba Zhi" said: "King Wu of Zhou in place of the Zhou Dynasty, actually got the division of Ba Shu,...... Ba division brave and sharp, song and dance to Ling, Yin people before the disciples fell back,....... Jingmen City, Hubei Province, found the "Dawu Pai Bing" copper Chi, from the Warring States period of the Chu Ba people's tomb, such as the Ba type Go, cast with a strange image of God, should be for the Ba people to perform the music of the props of the Dawu. It seems, chu people's martial arts dance should be learned from the ba people. Chu rhetoric "big move" in the detailed description of the martial arts dance "big wu" performance situation: "two eight catch" wu ", casting poetry and fugue only, knocking bells and chimes, entertaining people chaotic only." According to the evidence, "Wu" that is, "Dawu", the performance of team dance and solo dance. Jiangling warring states chu tomb unearthed a relief short weapon, decorated with a "wu dance" the image of the person: left hand dry, right hand halberd, head inserted feathers, feet on the sun and moon, the image is vivid and touching. "You dance", about the beginning of the Spring and Autumn Zhuang Wang. It is characterized by its good description to please others. The historical record - funny biography ", the Chu state artist Yu Meng, see Yin Sun Shou Ao died, his son poor and unsupported, so they wore Sun Shou Ao's clothes and crowns, imitation of its appearance and dance, to the king of zhuang in front of the birthday, king zhuang was shocked, thought Sun resurrected, and then there is "Yu Meng clothes and crowns" of the canon of the world. The "Yu dance" of Chu may have started from this. "Seek outside the people to learn from all, seek within themselves and unique", this is the cultural policy adopted by the Chu people on the art of music and dance. Chu music and dance originated in the central plains, enjoy the style of the Shangzhou culture for many years, and the southern indigenous barbarians culture mixing makes it like a fish out of water, full of vitality, and gradually get rid of the shackles of the traditional rituals in the central plains and increasingly show their own unique local characteristics and romantic style. The Chu dance with its flowing artistic beauty and rich in romantic reverie of strong colors, and hand-held dry chi feather flags of the Central Plains court of the elegant dance is very different from the heavy and solemn. According to Fei Bingxun research, the first characteristic of the Chu dance is "floating". One of the important means of embodiment of the Chu dance floating style is long-sleeved; the second artistic characteristic is "soft". Gentle beauty, mainly due to the waist of the slim and flexible; in addition, the dancer's clothing should be "Shang Huayan". Visible, long sleeves, thin waist, is the basic characteristics of the Chu dance, but also the Jingchu area of regional customs and aesthetic. Chu Rhetoric", "Han Fugue" to "beauty to be眇兮宜修"("要 "古 "腰 "字，"眇 "当细小)，"plenty of flesh to be眇 "当细小 ), "rich flesh and bones", "small waist and neck", "long sleeves", "Shu Miao Jing's slender waist", The beauty of the dancers is described by the words, "The dancers' sleeves are shading their faces". The words "Hua Cai Yi Ruoying", "Sheng? "different system", "long hair". The beauty of the girl is as beautiful as Ying. "The face is so slender", "The face is so slender", "The face is so slender", "The face is so slender". The light is blinded", "eyes have been some waves" to increase the overall image of the beauty of the dancers. Unearthed artifacts on the image of the dancer, it is to achieve this beauty for the purpose. The image of women in the silk paintings of Chu tombs in Changsha's eastern suburb is characterized by a full-length, wide-sleeved, long-sleeved, long-coated, and elegant dress. , wide sleeves, long clothes, slender waist as the characteristics. Changsha Huangtuling warring states chu tomb unearthed a painted figures on the lacquer trousseau, *** painted eleven dancers, two of which are full of? Long sleeves and waist of the woman is dancing; next to three women sitting calmly, seems to dance between the nap. Another woman waved a whip with sleeves, clearly is the band conductor; another five women are smiling and watching, appreciate the comments, the whole picture is full of joy, happy atmosphere. Zhang Heng "Xijing Fu" in the: fight long sleeves of the valiant", Fu Yi "Dance Fugue" in the "sleeve as Su Ni", Cui? Seven Yi" in the "Zhen Fei? To dance with long sleeves" and so on, are described as a moment of fluttering long sleeves. This can be confirmed by the jade carving of a dancer unearthed in Shouchun, Anhui Province, and the symmetrical jade carving of a dancer from the Warring States Period unearthed in Zengzhuang, Linquan Ancient City, Anhui Province. Both of them have one arm throwing the long sleeve horizontally over the head, forming an "S" curve on the top of the head. The image of the dancer in the Han portrait masonry is to seize the climax of the development of the plot, highlighting the long-sleeved dance for a moment.
Dance is the art of "movement", "waist" is the pivot of the human body movement, and its action is related to the artistic effect of dance. Chu court dance, whether it is feather dance, long-sleeved dance or hunting dance, Sanglin dance, are obviously relying on waist work, the so-called "Chu Ling Wang good fine waist", "Chu waist is thin", which shows that the Chu people have recognized the waist work in the dance in an important position. Visible, long sleeves and thin waist is not only the dance of the witch is characterized, and is the basic requirements for courtesans. Chu people pursue the "three curves" type difficult dance form, fully expresses the curvature of the human body. Chu beauty in order to thin waist, not hesitate to endure hunger, according to the "Song of Songs" recorded, Chu women dance is an important feature of the "supine" (when up and down, a foot on the ground, repairing the sleeve flying, elegant and graceful) and "even curled up" (curved appearance). It is said that Chu women are good at "bow-waist dance". The huainanzi - repair service training "said dancers" around the body if the ring, had around the mo ground, help in the ana, move the face to turn the song, will be juan like god, the body as if the autumn medicine by the wind, hair as if the junction of gleam, gallop if the shock", very concerned about the beauty of the curve of the movement, which is not a thin waist can not be. From the Shanghai Museum collection of engraved Yan music portrait ellipse? On the image of the dancers to see, chu dancers do have long sleeves and body curved two characteristics, indeed can be said to be "supine" and "even curled". Chu people appreciate the dance body type, is "flesh and bones" and "small waist show neck", set slim and plump in one, such a body and dance posture, not to mention "? The light is blind, the eye has been some waves", no wonder "the viewer? No wonder "the viewer forgets to return". Hubei Provincial Song and Dance Troupe created and performed by the "chimes music" dancers as "three bends" to simulate the Chu dance, had a sensation in Beijing.
"Han Shu - Rituals and Music Zhi" in the Han Gaozu Liu Bang also preferred the sound of Chu: "All music, music its birth, rituals do not forget the original, Gaozu music Chu sound, so the "room music" Chu sound also." Therefore, "Chu sound" in the two Han Dynasty has long been flourishing. Gaozu himself made "wind song", "suburban sacrifice song", passed to Emperor Wu's "autumn wind rhetoric", "gourd song", etc. are chu sound, his favorite consort Mrs. Qi and Mrs. Tangshan performance of chu dance, Gaozu sang chu song for them. Several emperors in the early Han Dynasty had "enlisted the world to be able to speak Chu". According to the "Xijing Miscellany", Mrs. Qi "is good for the dance of the sleeves and waist". From the point of view of its "sleeve" and "folding" characteristics, should be undoubtedly the Chu dance, the sleeve is not long solid difficult to "warped", the waist is not fine also difficult to "folding "The sleeves are not long, and the waist is not thin, so it is difficult to fold. Her "dance of the sleeves and waist folding" dance has been found in Nanyang, Henan Province and Shandong Qufu in the Han portrait stone. Nanyang portrait stone on two thin waisted dancers, flinging long sleeves folded waist and dance, but not backward folded waist, but to the right side of the folded waist, the two sleeves to the left side of the flinging, showing the posture of the sleeve. Shandong Qufu portrait stone is also a woman dancing in pairs, the dancers bundle high bun, jacket and skirt, long sleeves and waist, one of them is to the right side of the body folded waist, to the right side of the fluttering sleeve, fluttering sleeve posture is slightly different from the Nanyang portrait stone.
The songs and dances of the gods of Chu were directly used by the court of the Han Dynasty. The Han Book - Suburban Sacrifice Song" in the "thousands of Luo dance into eight rows of dancers, and the good effect of entertainment Taichi. Nine Songs" Bi Zuo Firanshu. Song qin and se yu will be Xuan Zhu" rhetoric. Tokyo Fugue" depicts the scene of sacrificial music and dance, "banging the flood bells, cutting the spiritual drums, beside the vibration of the eight mean ......", in the "bells and drums?" In the "bells and drums?" sound, "witch" women "Crown Hua Bing Zhai, line dance eight rows of dancers, ...... ten thousand dances Yik Yik". In fact, eight rows of dancers and ten thousand dancers were learned from the Central Plains. Yin Ziyuan once built a separate pavilion on the side of Mrs. Wen Wang's pavilion in order to revitalize the 10,000 dances. The atmosphere was also vividly depicted in the "Chang Yang Fu". Palace music and dance for the purpose of entertaining people were also very popular. Han Fu ", to " Yanyang Ying colorful, " radical Chu ", " Jie Feng " ...... ", " " radical Chu ", " Jie Feng ", " Yang A " dance, material people of the poor view, the world's most wonderful " depicted Chu Ying are wonderful and colorful scene of song and dance. The name of these dance songs in the Warring States period, to the Han Dynasty have developed into an important repertoire of Xianghe Daqu, but also an important Chu dance dance name. In Nanyang, the hometown of the emperor at that time, Chu songs and dances were more popular. Zhang Heng "Nandu Fugue" in describing the Nanyang rich merchant family song and dance banquet had said: "sitting in the South song Ruoxi Zheng dance, white cranes fly Ruoxi cocoon trailing threads. ...... Junction of the nine autumns to increase the injury, complaining about the West Jing of the folding plate. Playing the zheng and blowing the sheng, more new sound." Gao lure note: "South song, take the southern sound for music and song." "Xijing, that is, Chu dance also, folding disk, dance." From Nanyang, Henan Province, on the Han portrait stone, can still glimpse the Chu dance of the remaining rhyme flow wind, reproduce the year the kind of light singing and dancing scene and that the thousands of forms, changes in the Chu dance. Nanyang Han portrait stones on the dancer's long sleeves, shoulders and waist, dance caused by a kind of cloud flying wave back to the streamline, a kind of vibration feathers and snow light, constitute Fu Yi "dance" depicted in the "if the top if the top, if the come and go", "fiber? The moths fly, and they are all in a flurry. If the end. The birds are more than the birds, the birds are more than the birds, the birds are more than the birds, and the birds are more than the birds. The birds are overflowing, the birds are in a state of flux, and the birds are in a state of death. Snakes and snakes. The clouds are so fluid that they are like a swimming dragon, and the sleeves are like a thin, dark cloud. The dynamic and unpredictable beauty of the dance is characterized by the use of a series of metaphors, such as moths flying, birds gathering, clouds flying and dragons swimming, which gives it a vibrant vitality, and depicts the graceful waist movements, long-sleeved dance posture, slender and graceful body and looking back and forth, giving a sense of beauty of dashing and handsome and the charm of the swimming dragon. The dance is a very vivid and vivid depiction, giving people a sense of beauty of dashing and handsome and the charm of swimming in the dragon.
It can be seen that the ancient dancers, especially the dancers, took the slender waist as the fashion, and the long sleeves as the beauty. Because it not only reveals the beauty of the dancer's posture, but also makes the dance light, enhances the expressive power of the dance and shows the floating style of the dance. And this kind of good fashion also dominated a certain era of clothing trends, become a regional, national aesthetic performance. Later generations of literati and writers often used the phrase "slender waist and long sleeves" to describe the Chu dance, and Tang Dynasty's Xue Neng had a poem: "The slender waist dances all the spring willows", Liu Yuxi had a poem: "So far, it is still a lot of thin waist", Du Mu Liu Yuxi's poem reads: "The waist of Chu is still very thin", and Du Mu's poem reads: "The waist of Chu is very thin and light in the palm of the hand". The Chu people are proud to live in such a country where music and dance are well developed. Chu people with its romantic temperament and unrestrained talent, not only created a unique music culture, and dedication to the art of dance in a peculiar style. Chu song and dance not only dazzling at that time, and the influence of later generations is also extremely far-reaching, its popularity and development of the spring river lake water, rippling wave of miles, clothes by the two Han dance for more than four hundred years, in the flourishing Tang music, Chu sound is still incessant, "the old book of the Tang Dynasty - music": "since the Zhou, Sui... ...the zither player still passes on the old sound of Chu and Han." Chu music and dance in the history of ancient Chinese music and dance, wrote a glorious page. At the same time, we can also get a new understanding of Chu music and dance, Chu culture from the changes in the content and form of Chu music and dance. In the previous understanding, often think that the chu country is located in the south of chu, is a remote and isolated, and therefore retained in the national society in many of the remnants of the formation of a closed "witch sound" culture. In fact, the Chu culture is not closed, but a kind of open consciousness is extremely strong cultural system. Throughout the glorious history of Chu culture and great achievements, the essence of Chu culture from the way of thinking and behavior, can be summarized in three words, that is, unafraid of Rah, etc. break the rules of enterprise, not divided into this and that field of openness, not tired of chasing after the creation of new and strange. This can be recorded from the "Chu Shi" in the Chu music and dance content and shape
style changes in a good description.
The Chu people are good at originality, novelty, and the attitude towards foreign culture has always been eclectic, in order to innovate, so foreign music and dance is not to be rejected, but to take a positive attitude, to integrate and make it into one, the Chu Si depicted in the music and dance scene can be sufficient to prove. For example, "Invoking the Soul", "Long Hair Man? The colorful and beautiful Ruoli. The two or eight of them are all together, and they are dancing, obeisance and obeisance, and they are caressing the case under them." The "Zheng Dance" in the performance of the obvious Chu dance, into the characteristics of the Chu dance. "Small waist show neck" of the Chu dance dancers "obeisance if the cross pole, Fufu case under some of the", the dancer's long sleeves fluttering, suddenly like smoke, suddenly like a rainbow fly, wonderful Jing slender waist, waist supine, Chu dance is rich in characteristics of the "waist", "long", "waist", "long", "long", "long", "long", "long", "long", "long", "long", "long", "long" and "thin". The characteristic "thin waist" and "long sleeves" of the Chu dance are fully displayed here. Another example is the "Nine Songs - Ritual Souls" "into a ritual, will drums, pass the bar and dance on behalf of the", Yin and Shang for the sacrificial ceremony "dance on behalf of the" in the South Chu sacrificial ceremony "pass the cow's tail" into "pass the flowers", according to the customs of the Chu region for the "dance on behalf of the", the "dance on behalf of the", the "dance on behalf of the". In the Southern Chu ritual ceremony, "Passing the Ox Tail" became "Passing the Fresh Flowers", which was adapted according to the customs of Chu. And Yin Shang "generation dance" and Chu dance "drum dance" into one. At the same time, the Chu music boldly adopted the rare scales and patterns of the Spring and Autumn and Warring States Periods, such as the "Great Recruitment" depicting the Chu Palace playing "Dawu", "four on the competition gas, the extreme sound of change only", the so-called "extreme sound of change", i.e., "the extreme sound change The so-called "extreme sound change", or "extreme sound change", is a new form of scale organization that appeared during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. The "Chaos" in "The Great Invocation" is also one of the novel musical styles of the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. From the former cited "Invocation", we see the grand scene of Chu music and dance practice: bells and drums, yu and Cersei harmony and ringing, "radical Chu" Zheng dance colorful, Wu? Cai Acura unique, it is undoubtedly a shock court of large-scale music and dance recital. Its vitality, it is from Wu, Cai, Zheng, Chu and other different local styles of music and dance exchanges, mixing and fusion; its achievements, it is reflected in the "Chen bells and drums" to create a "unique first some of the" "radical Chu Its achievement is reflected in the fact that "Chen bells and drums" created the "Exciting Chu", which is "unique in the first place", and "New Songs", which is unique in the local styles of Jianghan and Nanguo, such as "Shibu Jiang", "Cai Ling" and "Yang He", were played. The song "New Songs" is unique to the local styles of the south of the Jianghan region. In "The Great Recruitment", "Dai, Qin, Zheng, Wei, singing yu Zhang only. Voltaire "driving identification", Chu "Laoshang" only. Acura and "Yang A", Zhao xiao chan only. ......" is also a picture of gold and jade, and song and dance, generation, Qin, Zheng, Wei, Zhao, Chu, the music of a variety of large-scale music and dance. According to "Zuo Zhuan - Cheng Gong 12 years": "Jin? To such as chu hire, and come to the alliance, chu son to enjoy, son of anti-phase, for the ground room and county. To the will be boarded, Jin Rao made in the lower, frightened and out." Jin Rao that bell and play music, this is a very grand courtesy, but the chu people ingenuity, set up underground music hall, so make? to "scared and out". Innovative, full of whimsy, the Chu people are so based on tradition, and abandon the past. In general, this aspect of the example of many, not to repeat here. And all of this shows that the Chu music and dance on the novel music and dance content and form of bold adoption, and achieved great success, fully reflecting the Chu people's sense of innovation and awareness of change as well as the Chu culture has a strong penetration of foreign culture.
Chu songs and dances have a long history, especially the early witch songs and dances in the long history of its very strong vitality in the Chu land from generation to generation down. This is indeed an interesting issue worth exploring. Liu Yuxi, a poet of the Tang Dynasty, described in Bamboo Branch Lyrics: "The songs of the four directions are different in sound but the same in music. In the first month of the year, when I came to Jianping, the children in the city sang the Bamboo Branch, played piccolo and drums to attend the festival. The singers danced with their arms and sleeves, and the song was more than wise. When I listened to their voices, I heard the sound of yellow bells. The final chapter is as exciting as the sound of Wu, although it is indistinguishable from the rest of the song. Although it is indistinguishable from the other songs, the songs are full of thoughts and have the color of Kiou. In the past, when Qu Yuan lived in the Yuan-Xiang area, his people welcomed the gods, and the words were mostly vulgar, so he made nine songs for them. Nowadays, Jingchu inspires them. Therefore, I have also composed nine pieces of Bamboo Branches, so that those who are good at singing can promote them." And its "Tap Song Lyrics" is the young men and women all night long enthusiastic singing and dancing wonderful scene depicted extremely vivid and touching. The word reveals some of the form and flavor of the BCC witch song and dance. Song dynasty outstanding statesman, Wen Tianxiang Wen Tianxiang, "Hengzhou on the first year of the record" article, the prevalence of witch songs and Nuo dance on its South Chu has been vividly depicted. Ming and Qing dynasties, Nuo Nuo song and dance in Hubei, Hunan, some local history and poetry of the literati continue to appear. Originally living in the Chu territory of the present Tujia, Miao is also able to sing and dance of the nation, its kicking dance, swinging hand dance and other ways and forms in the literature have detailed records. According to the "Dongxi Fiber Zhi": "Miao people every order festival, men blowing sheng drums, women with men after the Brahms in and out of the hands and feet, fast and slow can be seen, the name of the dance of kicking the hall." Chudong Zhiliao" reads: "The Miao people routed long wood, empty which, after the feast, make the beauty of the women hit the, all good singers, are all 伶服按节而和, said jumping drums." "Miao defense prepared to read - under the custom": "soil (i.e., Tujia) common villages have swinging hand hall, every year the first three to the first five or six nights, sounding gongs and drums, men and women gathered, swinging shouting, said swinging hand." Mr. Wen Yiduo, when picking up wind in western Hunan, had watched the dance of local young men and women of ethnic minorities with great interest, and examined the relationship between "Chu Ci" and local folklore. To this day, in the Miao areas of Guizhou, Hunan and other provinces, the "drum dance", also known as "stepping on the drum", is still popular, accompanied by the singing of music and lyrics of "stepping on the drum song". In western Hubei and western Hunan, there is an extremely special phenomenon worth noting, that is, illiterate peasants are able to sing "nine songs", and their ethnicity has adopted and fused the voice of the Chu song. The folk dance "Duan Gong Dance" (also known as "Carrying God") in the mountainous area of northwestern Hubei can be said to be a fine stream of Chu culture and art, which is still circulating in the folk of this area, such as the Duan Gong Dance of Gucheng County and the Duan Gong Dance of Xueping Town of Nanzhang County, which, according to the experts concerned, is a reproduction of the typical Chu witch dance inherited from the Chu people, and the Duan Gong Dance is performed on a great number of occasions, which is also different from one place to another and is slightly different from another place, e.g., the Duan Gong Dance of Nanzhang has 15 performances, which is the most popular one. Duan Gong Dance" has 15 performances, while "Duan Gong Dance" in Gucheng has only 9 performances. However, most of them include "welcoming the luan", "spreading the altar", "inviting the god", "resting the god", "God of Happiness", "Repairing Bridges and Roads", "Bao Mao Shrinking Wine", "Dancing Swords", "fire dance", "scattered flowers", "send God" and other scenes, there are songs and dances, different styles, Chu flavor is quite strong. This kind of dance is the Wiccan ritual song and dance handed down from Chu, which obviously contains the rhyme and style of Chu Wufeng, which also seems to retain the traces of the mutual influence of the neighboring tribes in ancient times. And this kind of dance is now quite popular among the folk in the mountainous area of Northwest Hubei.
From the ancient times of the southern primitive music and dance activities, to the Spring and Autumn and Warring States period of the Chu music and dance art system, to the Chu people Liu Bang after the founding of the state of the two Han Dynasty Chu song and dance, and then to the time of the Tang and Song Dynasty Bayu bamboo branch song, and even modern still exist in the folk of the old Chu to invoke the gods, jumping funerals, "weeping marriage," such as the Jingchu legacy, the middle reaches of Yangtze River Basin, from the beginning to the end of the music and dance of the region. The music and dance of the middle reaches of the Yangtze River basin have always been characterized by a common artistic style and cultural spirit. Especially the "living fossils" existing in the folklore are the cultural background and valuable cultural reference system for the study of Chu Rhetoric, which is an invaluable treasure with important and rich value of folklore and culture. Some experts have pointed out that: in the study of Chu culture, there has always been a tradition of emphasizing elegance and emphasizing vulgarity; today, if we can work hard in the field of "elegance" such as traditional materials and methods, and at the same time, we can exert ourselves in the field of "vulgarity" such as folklore and folk customs, and ethnic minority cultures, we will have a big breakthrough in the study of Chu culture. Chu culture research will have a big breakthrough. Therefore, the study of chu song and dance, not only to literature, archaeology as an example, but also to read, archaeology, picking up the wind of the three combined, which is important in the picking up the wind. This is for us to comprehensively explore the art of Chu music and dance, to grasp this artistic style and cultural spirit of great significance and role.
Author: Hubei Academy of Social Sciences
(From Jianghan Forum, No.12, 2002)