1, performance introduction
"Waist Drum" is a form of folk drumming widely circulated throughout northern Shaanxi, especially in Ansei County, Yan'an area, Yulin area, Hengshan, Mibi, Yulin and other places are most prevalent, is one of the Shaanxi folk dance has a greater impact on the dance. Shaanxi waist drum has a broad mass base and a long history of development. In some of the main circulating areas, there are drum teams in almost every village and drummers in every family. And it has been passed down from generation to generation and has lasted for a long time. Because of its long circulation, wide range, the number of participants, so the basic form of the dance and rhythm, although roughly the same, but in different areas, the formation of their own different performance styles and customs. The Ansai Waist Drum is one of the representative ones.
Ansai waist drums have a long history, this is the ancient military to increase morale and pass the intelligence used, here is used to express the victory of the cheers and the joy of the harvest. The sound of the drums is quite dense, strong pace, changing formations, strong shouts, all the masculine beauty of men, in the international community is very prestigious.
Ansai Waist Drums are a collective performance form, the drummer (called "satchel drums" or "kick drums") is less than dozens of people, more than a hundred people. The team includes pulling flowers female corner, umbrella head, savage mother-in-law, savage Han and other roles, and "running donkey', "water boat", such as a variety of small field program composed of a vast folk dance team. In the performance emphasizes the overall effect, requires the action of the neat unity and formation changes in normality, mainly through the drummers bold and rugged dance and drumming skills, fully demonstrated in the man of the Loess Plateau men's masculinity
Ansai waist drums have a complete program of performances and activities and customs. In the past, it was performed in festivals and temple fairs, and the annual Spring Festival to Lantern Festival is the centralized activity time. Before the start of the event, the president of the temple (elected by the village) to organize sacrificial activities, known as "visit the temple": dance team under the umbrella of the head of the leadership, beat up the drums and gongs, blowing the oboe, and sometimes carry a whole pig whole sheep and other offerings to the temple to burn incense to the gods, and pray to the gods blessed with good weather and prosperity of the country and people's peace. And in the temple square kicking and punching for a while, intended to entertain the gods. "Visit the temple" end, the first eight or nine after the first month, the drum team will begin the door to the New Year activities, commonly known as "along the door. There is a local proverb: "Drums and gongs and suona straight sound miles, under the butt stick pry miles!" The masses could not sit still. At this time, the waist drum team according to the village in order to walk around the house, in the main house in the courtyard, kiln performance for a while, the umbrella head according to the situation of each family, touching the scene to sing a few sections of auspicious rice-planting songs, in order to express the intention of the New Year's greetings. The main family believes that the waist drum team into the yard into the house beating, jumping and singing, can eliminate disasters and disasters, peace in all seasons. This may be the ancient "townspeople Nuo" customary legacy. Sometimes two teams of waist drums on the way to meet, generally by the umbrella head of each other singing rice-planting songs, *** congratulations on the New Year, let the road and line, but sometimes there will be a mutual failure to give way to the situation, at this moment we have to compete in the art of competition, and compete for a high and low. The two teams of gongs and drums, suona sound, waist drum sound, like spring thunder rolling. Drummers enjoy hitting, jumping, such as crazy like crazy, playing to the climax, the drums rest, by both sides of the umbrella head out of the song, which is also an aspect of the competition skills. Until there is a team of the first corner of the mess, the action is not unanimous, drums, formation are unified not a piece or the song on the answer, even if it is lost, and then took the initiative to make way for the winner to go first.
"Along the door" after the end of the neighboring villages between the waist drum team to pay homage to each other, each other visit, the exchange of performances, which is the same as the Shaanbei rice-planting, known as "take the color door". The first month of the fifteenth, the village drum team gathered in the square, began to compete with each other than each other activities. Drummers from all walks of life show their skills and compare each other's strengths and weaknesses, becoming the culmination of the year's waist drumming performances. This is not only active rural Spring Festival recreational activities, but also through each other to observe and learn from each other, promote the popularization and improvement of the waist drum. That night will also be held "turn the lamp" (also known as "turn nine songs"), almost everyone is competing for the tour, the whole family with the turn. At that time, drums and music, lights flashing, waist drum team in front of the guide, followed by the crowd, showing a lively and extraordinary scene.
The activities of the drum team often continue until the 17th and 18th of the first month, and end only after the sacrifice of the land god. After that, the townspeople went to prepare for the spring plowing.
The performance of the drums can be broadly categorized into "road drums" and "field drums".
"Road drums" is the waist drum team in the marching dance while walking a form of performance, before the two umbrella head of the team, followed by the satchel drums and flowers composed of the dance team B - umbrella head of a satchel drums followed by the head of the drums, called the "head of the road drums," he is bound to be a skilled drummer. He must be a skillful drummer, and he commands the whole team's movements and rhythms. The back of the team, is dressed up as a barbarian woman, barbarian clowns, some dressed up as the Monkey King, Pigsy and other characters in the Tang Monk scriptures, twisting at will, teasing and making fun to add to the joyful atmosphere of the festival. "Road drum" due to the performance in the march, the general action is simple, small amplitude, more to do "cross step", "walk step", "horse step wrapped around the waist The movements are mostly "Cross Steps", "Walking Steps" and "Horse Steps around the Waist". Commonly used formations are "single street", "double street", "single dragon tail", "double dragon tail" and so on.
"Field Drum" refers to the waist drum team arrived at the performance location, open the field after the performance form. At the beginning of the umbrella by the head of the umbrella waving the umbrella order, then the drums and music, the dancers with the head of the umbrella dance. This section is called "stepping on the field", performing at a slow pace, the purpose is to open the field, open the team, and stabilize the audience's mood. The second part of the song and dance, the performance of the tempo gradually faster, the action amplitude is larger, the formation changes a lot. Commonly used formations are "Divine Building", "Ancient Temple", "Hanging Gold Medal in front of God", "Fortune Keeping Head", "Monk's Tour of the Gate" and so on. To the introduction of the "sun arc" pattern, umbrella head stood to the center of the field to lead the singing of rice-planting songs, singing depending on the occasion and the object, "visit the temple", there are temple offerings, the general performance of the New Year's greetings to the audience, there are also celebrating the harvest and wishing good luck and other content. Umbrella head singing, the dancers at the edge of the field in slow circles, and repeat the last sentence of each section of the catch-singing, commonly known as "catch the sound". After singing, the umbrella head exits the venue, and the satchel drums and flower pulling enter the show, coming out of a variety of complex and changing formations. At this moment is not limited by time, the dancers to show their own skills stunt, the mood is warm, ups and downs, so that the performance reaches a climax.
In recent years, Ansai Waist Drums in order to highlight the skills of the satchel drums, the performance of the "field drums" by the satchel drums in the field alone. Drummers in the head of the drums under the command of the drummer, the spirit of exhilaration, drums wild dance, at this time only to see the drumsticks waving, colorful silk flying, drums, such as thunder, shocking the earth, the sound force is compelling, extremely infectious.
After the end of this section, and then interspersed with other forms of small field programs, such as "donkey", "water boat", "stilts", " two ghosts fighting", "big head monk" and so on. The number of programs depends on the talents and conditions of each village. After the end of the small show, a big show of waist drums follows. At this moment, the gongs and drums are beating fast, the suona is blowing tightly, the drums are more intense, the mood is more cheerful, so that the whole show ends in a strong atmosphere and high emotions.
Ansai Waist Drums based on different styles and rhythms of the original culture, martial arts points, "culture waist drums" relaxed and happy, dashing and lively, small range of action, similar to the style of the rice-planting songs; "martial arts waist drums" is joyful and fierce, rough and unrestrained, and there is a large kicking and punching, Jumping and rotating movements, especially the drummer's aerial leaping skills, giving people a martial, exciting feeling. At present, the waist drums of Wen and Wu are gradually combined to form a new style, and the two places of Xihekou Township and Zhenwudong in Ansei have the most characteristic features. They vividly reflect the naive and simple temperament and character traits of the local people. Especially in the performance, and organic blend of folk martial arts and rice-planting dance movements, relaxation and tension, alive and not chaotic, in and out of order, majestic, strong. The crowd praised as "style generous code hard".
2, Ansai waist drum style characteristics can be summarized as follows
1. Through the changes in the rhythm of the expression of the dancer's inner passion. Dancers can't help shaking their heads and shoulders slightly when they hit the drums, so that the inner feelings and the outer rhythms of the drums are organically combined to achieve both God's shape and harmony;
2. The dancers swing their drumsticks and hit the drums with a fierce force, whether it is up and down or wrapped around the waist to hit the drumsticks with both hands to throw them away. But although hard but not barbaric, it seems to be upright and thick, and still does not lose its sense of finesse;
3. When doing kicks and jumps, whether it's a big kick, a small kick, or stomping action, there should be a stock of "brute" strength. Rhythmic, difficult, on behalf of the Ansai waist drum rough and bold, strong and spicy style;
4. Drumming and turning is the key to the performance of the Ansai waist drum. In the dance, all squatting, kicking action will turn around, turn around must be fierce, especially to do air jumping landing squatting, turn around and start a set of action combinations, must be in a fixed beat, the use of rapid force in order to complete the action of the changes and connections;
5. The complexity of the form of the movement, jumping amplitude is large. With the acceleration of the rhythm of the performance, the foot began to complex kicking and jumping, and increase the amplitude of the body swinging from side to side. Such as doing "horse stomp", "even turn", "horse jump" and other actions, the dancers use the lunge backward jumping twice, and then the left leg stride forward, the right leg stomps and rises, the potential as a dragon and tiger leaping. The momentum is like a dragon leaping over a tiger, showing a state of mind of tenacity and hard work. Satchel drums dress dress and traditional opera.... Similar to the traditional Chinese opera martial arts, wearing black tight-fitting kwa clothes; head wearing a straw hat circle; wearing a beard, face to red, eyebrows to thick, when the performance of the beard to swing open. With the change of the times, the dancer's costume is also changing. In recent years, the West Hekou Township around the waist drum costume, has been close to life, and the real Wu Dong waist drum team's costume; still retains the ancient warrior dress, head tie hero scarf, waist girdle war skirt, footsteps red tasseled shoes, quite like the ancient battlefield soldiers will be commander-in-chief. Ansai waist drums in addition to the dancers themselves hit the drums as the main accompaniment, there are also folk drumming band accompaniment, musical instruments have drums, cymbals, gongs, etc., and suona playing song, commonly used song (So Shan order).
3, historical development
Ansei waist drums have a long history, trace the roots, but also from the drums. Drum is a symbol of the spirit, dance is a manifestation of power, inspired by the combination of the first dance culture. If "Shangshu. Yiji" in the "hit the stone pat stone, the rate of all beasts dance" described the primitive society, people beat the stone tools, imitating the image of beasts jump totem dance, then "Yi. Series of Rhetoric" in the "drum dance to the end of God" is an indication of the emergence of the drum, so that the dance has been a leap forward to become the beginning of the agricultural dance culture, is to promote the spirit of the nation's important art forms. Drums are used in wars to herald the beginning of war.
Drums, not only for war, but also become an indispensable percussion instrument in folk dance. After the Spring and Autumn period and the Warring States period, the drum as percussion accompanied by folk dance is more numerous, and even named after the drum dance has gradually appeared. Shandong Yinan Han paintings in the "Hundred Plays" more complete record of the "Hundred Plays" performance of the spectacle. The accompanying instruments include bells, bans, drums and other percussion instruments. In the style of the gorgeous Jian drum, a person with a wide robe and big-sleeved clothes, side to the drum, arms raised, is trying to hit the drum, dance posture.
Ansai waist drum has a long history, a thousand years ago. According to relevant information, the ancient times, the Yellow River Valley tribes of men, commonly used a hollow tree pole wrapped in sheepskin, carried on the waist, hit to drive away wild animals. Later, it was used for alarm and combat. To the Spring and Autumn and Warring States reached its heyday, and to the Qin State for the most. The form and development of Ansai waist drum is inseparable from the local history, geography and customs. Ansai is located in the northern part of Yan'an area in Shaanxi Province, with a vast area, long ravines and gullies, and the Yan River meandering through the territory, which is a typical loess plateau landscape. Historically, it is a military town, known as the "throat of the upper county", "the key to the northern gate," known as one of the border fortresses to resist foreign invasion. Local people say, as early as in the Qin and Han Dynasties, waist drums were regarded as indispensable equipment by the garrison generals as well as swords, guns, bows and arrows. Encountered enemy raids, drums alarm, pass the message; two armies against the battle, to drums to cheer; victory in battle, the soldiers and drums to celebrate. Later generations more Diao: border guards, hit to alarm orders and help the war. To the Song Dynasty, more for the border. Today's Ansai County, is when the Northern Song Dynasty and the Western Xia country (now Ningxia) border, in order to stabilize the border party set up "Ansai County". "Ansai waist drum" is also named after, over a thousand years and not decline, and become a folk art with a deep mass base. According to the survey, Ansai County, 120,000 people, about 10,000 families have waist drums, will be danced by 50,000 to 60,000 people, with the passage of time, waist drums from military use gradually developed into the local people praying to the gods, wishing for a bumper harvest, celebrating the Spring Festival, a folk dance, so that the waist drums have a greater mass, but in the style of the drums and performances, continue to retain some of the Qin and Han generals of the vigorous heroic posture.
In 1942, Yan'an and the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Border Region, the rise of the new rice-planting movement, so that the Ansai drums of this ancient folk art has been developed, and has become hundreds of millions of people celebrating the victory, celebrating the liberation of a symbol, and is known as the "Victory Drums", all over the land of China, the revolutionary movement of arts and culture in the glorious history of the book. In 1951, Ansai waist drum to participate in the National Folk Music and Dance Festival, by Ansai Fengjiaying village of Ai Xiushan and other folk artists to the Chinese Youth Cultural and Industrial Troupe taught the waist drum technique, held in Budapest after the performance of the World Youth and Student Gala, won the Grand Prize, which made the Ansai waist drums famous at home and abroad.
In 1981, in the neighboring Ansai County, Yan'an City, Liangcun Township, Wangzhuang Village, a small hill called "tomb collapse", the masses in the plowing found an ancient tomb. Which unearthed the same shape, character modeling of the two waist drum portrait bricks, are turned mold molding after firing. By the Yan'an area of cultural relics and archaeology experts, the Department of the Song Dynasty. Portrait bricks shaped by the drummer, the waist sat on a fine drum, side, head to the left after raising the left foot on the ground, the right leg before the cross stirrups, both hands a high and low as a hammer drums; the left side of a person for the cymbals, jumping up, sucking the left leg, eyes to the left, both hands in front of his chest cymbal shape. The drummer is bare-shouldered, wears lantern pants and a colorful sash around his waist, which floats to the bottom of the front. Especially the drummer's movements and image, quite similar to today's Ansai waist drums in the "horse stance stirrups" of the fourth beat and "forward progress" of the second beat. Waist drum portrait brick picture clear, beautiful shape, vividly expressed the Song Dynasty in northern Shaanxi Province, China's waist drum performance, the study of the historical origins and development of waist drums in northern Shaanxi Province, provides a valuable and informative cultural relics information.