"Strong" means "respecting guests and being polite to people". It is a ceremonial dance to welcome guests and is mainly performed by the elderly. During the performance, several male and female dancers stand in a fan shape, facing the guests, holding the belts on both sides with their little fingers, slowly singing and dancing, using praise lyrics to express the village's respect for the guests. At the climax, only the male dancers sing to the accompaniment, while the female dancers put their feet on the ground and take their hips as the axis, repeating the "round body" movement from right to left. Their dance is dignified and elegant. Although the Qiang folk dance forms are few, they are distinctive and give people a sense of intimacy. These dance forms play an important role in the life of the ancient Qiang people. They played a role in uniting and inspiring people to strive for progress, reflecting the ancient style of emphasizing literature over martial arts, sincerity and generosity, and hospitality. Today's Qiang people are limited by geographical and historical conditions, and the development of economic life and folk dance is not fast enough compared with neighboring peoples. From the point of view of the specificity of folk dance culture, the agricultural and pastoral cultural heritage created by the ancient Qiang people contains a rich Qiang folk dance, which is of great significance to the study of the history of the development of dance in China.
Dance Armor
The Qiang people call it "Kesu Gong Kesu De", which is also known as "Armor Dance" and "Great Burial Dance". This dance was first performed by decorated soldiers at funerals, and later at ordinary funerals. The dancers are male and wear rawhide armor, leather helmets, grouse feathers or straw, and weapons. In the performance, the dancers first sing elegies and ritual songs about the interests of the deceased and express their remembrance of him. Then they swing their weapons, shake their armor, and dance steadily to the shouts of "hahahaha". The firm footsteps, the clanging armor, and the mournful shouts create a power and a solemn atmosphere. Finally, the dancers raised their hands in the air and shook their shoulders, and finally broke out into a burst of intense laughter. The Qiang people have been brave and warlike since ancient times. They consider themselves proud of their country's sacrifices. This dance is a relic of ancient war dances.
Gradually
"Qiang" means "dance at a banquet", i.e., a dance performed after a funeral or a sacrificial banquet. In general, there is no fixed program and it is highly entertaining. The method and rhythm of the dance are similar to those of the Sarang, but there are obvious differences depending on the purpose of the event and the lyrics of the song. For example, in the "Sibuta" dance, when a prestigious old man dies, the dancers hold hands and sing and dance. Their feet move forward alternately, heavy and strong, their knees trembling slightly as they slowly move forward. Some of the lyrics have been handed down from ancient times and are sung according to tradition. Their meaning is not clear, but the atmosphere of praying for the souls of the dead and comforting the families is very strong. The "wash cloth" is offered to the gods to pray for good weather. For the safety of human beings and animals, it is filled with an atmosphere of piety and sincerity, reflecting the infinite hope of the people. When expressing a happy mood, let go of holding hands and dance in the leader's gestures, making more symmetrical movements. The poses of "smooth change" and "torso twisting ring" appear frequently, warm and wonderful.
"Sibutsu" has a song called "Morian Sieve". There is an image of labor in the dance: the dancer kneels on her left leg, squats down, and pulls her skirt in a "corpse movement," much like sifting grain in a parched grain field. Another song and dance called "Shi Kui Yu Kui" shows the exquisite decoration of the dancers' costumes during the dance, which is cheerful and interesting.