The Artistic Inheritance of Xiaoxiang Lion Dance

Small phase of the lion dance long history, high level, reputation, since the Qing Dynasty, often outside the village, outside to learn or hire a teacher, small phase of human kindness, every time there is a request is always answered, small phase successively taught artists, in addition to Gongyi within the xiaoyi, kangdian, shengshui, shibu village, dibei dong, donghou, luzhuang, and so on many villages and towns, all over the yanshihi, dengfeng, mixian, xinzheng, luoyang, kaifeng, xuchang, as far as xinjiang, changjizhou, and other areas. and other areas.

In 1976, the state mobilized the provinces and cities excellent acrobatic programs for selection, designated Henan Province to bring the lion dance. The provincial government mobilized the province's acrobatic talent, sent specialists to the small phase to extend the teacher to pass on the art. Small phase people hear is to teach professional actors, began to dare not undertake. Come to see the small phase of the lion dance performance was greatly appreciated, more determined to invite, so by the old artists led by Yang Guanyi, Cui Xianfang, Cui Baozi, Li Shunxi, Zhang Xiling and Yang Xibai went to Zheng together to pass on the art. Due to time constraints, in addition to general skills, difficult performances only taught a small number of students were not able to master all. Even so, Henan lion dance to Beijing in the country's various heroes **** 18 road lion dance competition, is still unique first was selected and renowned Beijing.

In 1983, Xinjiang Changji Hui Autonomous Prefecture sent cadres with an official letter to the mainland to visit the invited lion dance masters, along the way Gan, Shaanxi, Henan side walks to see straight to Hebei, Hebei province turned all over also did not find the ideal. He watched the Kaifeng Acrobatic Troupe in Tianjin lion dance performance, the program was finished on stage to ask the Acrobatic Troupe to go to Xinjiang to spread the art. During the conversation, he learned that the acrobatic troupe lion dance from the small phase, there are still a lot of unlearned, and immediately turned back to Gong County rolled to the small phase. Small phase people think Xinjiang is too far away and alpine region, and the Spring Festival off some people can not be separated and refused to agree. Finally came to ask the provincial government to help, the province to "support the frontier" for the reason of issuing instructions, small phase of the artist then overcame the difficulties, by Yang Xibai, Zhang Xiling, Li Shunxi, Yang Jin Yao, Cui Xijin, etc. departed for Xinjiang. In changji state they take hutubi county cultural center as a base, run by the state counties selected 33 students of the training class. A month later, in order to make the students of the lion dance to understand, understand the meaning of the action, they were invited to perform in the county's Spring Festival Gala. After watching the performance, the local cadres were amazed and impressed, and were invited from all over the world. In order to meet the local requirements, small phase artists to the central radio station in the local broadcasting station and other places to make a sympathy performance, the Spring Festival in the county public performance for three days.

In the small phase of the history of lion dance, produced many lion dance masters, they actively study the dance art and constantly innovate, for the development of lion dance art to improve and spread the prosperity of a great contribution to future generations and many around the lion dance groups have a significant positive impact.

Cui Heming (1862-1931), a famous lion dancer, was mainly active in the 1890s and early 1900s. His performances were lively and spiritual, the most prominent being the great sickle dance he performed with Huo Ruyi (Hui Hui), which is a masterpiece. The shape of the great sickle is that of a metal spearhead that bends to the left and right and extends out flatly into branches as long as a foot long as a wing, which is so difficult to perform that the general public dares not dare to touch it. Dance in the sickle has three times to the lion's front legs attack, Huo's movement is very fast, acting head of the CuiHe Ming can jump up high to different ways very comfortable dodge with, is indeed rare, everywhere praised, especially vibration Zhongyue Temple in March General Assembly, no one with its rivals.

Cui Debiao (1885-1951), athletic and agile, is a full lion dance, omnipotent, extremely famous in the 1920s. The lion dance of the ground stalls is very concerned about footwork, and Cui Debiao's martial arts background is thick, and he performs in a very organized manner. In particular, he decorated back to dance nine-section whip, out of the ordinary is called a masterpiece, so that there are often invited to perform specifically nine-section whip.

Cui Chengshui (1904-1989), is a famous lion back to back. Previously in the elevated for the introduction of the lion show, are the left shoulder to carry a stool surface or a chair to support the hand upside down, since Cui Chengshui around the 1930s to participate in the lion dance, he can be in the elevated arms straight support to take the top, an instant sensation in the lion dance world. He was the first person to take the top on the elevated.

Cui Liushun and Cui Chengshui of the same generation, is to step on the overhead soft rope master. Other people can only simply walk through the soft rope, or only make some simple movements, while he can do a lot of movements on the soft rope, the most amazing thing is that he can head up the bowl of water on the upper side of the bouncing up and down.

Yang Guan-yi (1907-1989) was an important figure in the history of Siu Siang Lion Dance. He was a famous master of the tail, a skillful and powerful performer, and the chair stand with Li Yunhan (head) was famous for a long time. He is enthusiastic and diligent good at management and socializing, since liberation until the end of the 1970s, he is the small phase of the lion society excellent diplomacy and leadership, management, but also hands-on repair of equipment and apparatus, high prestige. All the important performance activities and outreach during this period were organized and led by him personally. Especially in 1976, he led a team to teach the provincial acrobatic team in Zheng lion dance, a short period of success, so that the small phase of the lion dance art reputation in the capital.

Cui Xianfang (1926-1990), and his brother, Cui Hai chip are good solid tail corner, with the head of Cui Chengting, Cui Zehui, *** with the creation of the famous "double stools and double lion". That is, at the top of the bench stacked double stool (or three stools), in the long 1 meters Xu, high 0.2 meters on each end of the stool on a lion, two lions at the same time jumping and dancing with each other to rotate and change the position of the show. Four people and two lions must cooperate closely and tacitly, and the slightest mistake will have the danger of falling into the stage. 1976 Cui Xianfang passed on the art in Zheng, the acrobatic troupe finally did not learn, and became the uninherited stunts. Cui Xianfang is dexterous and careful, and he is very considerate for his companions in the performance, and everyone says he is "very concerned about his companions", and it is especially pleasant to cooperate with him.

Zhang Xiling, born in 1938, was an outstanding tail actor. He was practiced in his own backyard and surprised everyone when he appeared. He is well-proportioned and strong brawn, other people play the top of the bench frame only stacked two stools, and then high can not perform, and he stacked three stools (about 1.4 meters high) also perform freely, is the founder of the three stools.

Cui Xijin, born in 1942, he is a fine arts teacher and lion dance master. 1980s, he organized after school coaching lion dance for secondary school students, to participate in the 1992 Zhengzhou City Youth Arts Festival, his original lion dance stalls, tables and elevated organic combination of choreographed into a full set of programs on stage, breaking through the folk and acrobatic lion dance of the old, won the only suburb of the first prize. He was the only first prize winner in the suburban county. His versatility, the lion's original dead eyes and eyelashes reformed into a living, can show the character of the lion's mentality, the interest greatly increased.