The origin and classification of Wa dance
There is no direct evidence and exact textual research on the origin of Wa dance. We can only look for its trace from the history and life of Wa people. The world-famous Cangyuan rock painting is located on the rock in Menglai Township, 62 kilometers northeast of Cangyuan Wa Autonomous County, Yunnan Province, with a history of more than 3, years. From the rich hunting, juggling, dancing and other scenes on the screen, there are cattle-flying sacrificial dances full of mighty murderous look and various props; There are several people who dance around the vertical coffin to bury the dead and entertain the funeral dance of the dead; There are even five people dancing in a circle. Professor Ningsheng Wang, a famous archaeologist, wrote in Discovery and Research on the Evolution of Cangyuan in Yunnan? Dance? Among them, the rock painting dance is divided into three categories, namely, entertainment dance, simulation dance and sacrificial dance. Secondly, in the word-of-mouth of the Wa epic Sigangli, there are descriptions of the origin of wooden drums, headhunters, and cattle-hunting, as well as the generation of Wa language, the invention of artificial fire, religious beliefs and totem worship, and dance is an indispensable and important form in these activities. Through the comparative analysis of Cangyuan rock paintings and the Wa people's creation epic "Sigangli", we found that the Wa people's folk dances appeared more than 3, years ago, and there were many types of dances such as sacrifice, hunting, funeral and self-entertainment.
(1) Wood Drum Dance
Wood Drum Dance, which is called in Wa language? Crokro? It is an important part of the Wa people's wooden drum sacrificial activities. The wooden drum is regarded by the Wa people as a tool to exorcise evil spirits and invigorate the army, and it is the product of the Wa people's polytheism. Every Wa village has one or several wooden drum houses, in which a pair of wooden drums, the male drum and the female drum, are stored. It is strictly stipulated that both drums must be struck at the same time. After development, it is no longer limited by the location and number of drums. Wooden Drum Dance consists of four parts, namely, pulling wooden drums, entering wooden drum room, knocking wooden drums and offering wooden drums. When dancing, the wizard first? Moba? Leading the vigorous Wa men in the village, they tied the huge peach trees that had been selected and cut down with rattan, and were made up of? Moba? Sitting on the trunk of the tree and leading the singing all the way, the Lamu people sang songs for the festival while catering to the shouts, and pulled the trunk back to the village. After the wooden drum arrived outside the village gate, it was parked for two to three days and waited? Moba? Choose a good day, and at this time, there will be cattle-hunting activities; Secondly, the process of making and placing wooden drums began to be shown. Moba? Under the guidance of, several burly men hollowed out the trunk with tools, and then? Moba? Guide the man to carry the wooden drum into the wooden drum room and put it on the shelf with the dance steps of semi-squatting; Then, the craftsmen (drummers) began to beat the wooden drums, and the whole village cheered. At this time, there were a variety of drumming routines, which could be played by one person, or by two or four people. The man danced powerfully, sometimes rotating and sometimes leaping, in order to please the gods for protection, which was also the climax of the wooden drum. Finally, it is the link of offering sacrifices to wooden drums. People ring wooden drums and invite them. Muyiji? And look forward to his arrival, in order to bless the harvest of grain and the peace of the village. The basic dynamic law of wood drum dance mainly lies in the flexion and extension of legs and the substantial pitching of upper body. It is rough, simple and solemn in performance and has a strong primitive ritual atmosphere. At present, the wooden drum dance in Ximeng is mainly inherited by Yan Sang, a national sacrificial inheritor in Mengka Town. The sacrificial dance of wooden drums can be roughly divided into "Jumping the Wooden Drum Room", "Knocking on the Wood to Encourage", "Chopping the Head with a Knife", "Sending the Head Dance" and "Head Dance".
(2) jiffy dance
jiffy dance, what's it called in English? Love the tail. Hey? It is a self-entertainment dance for Wa women. This dance can be performed in other seasons and occasions, except for cattle sacrifice, funeral, and building new houses. In 1965, it was created by Na Huan, a Wa woman in Xiaoxinzhai, Yuesong Township, Ximeng County, and spread to Ximeng. At first, the action of throwing dance was relatively simple, and then it was processed and refined by professional literary and art workers, which has been enriched into various throwing methods, such as throwing back and forth, swinging left and right, turning around and kneeling. "Shaking Dance" and "Wooden Drum Dance" are the most radical, bold, rough and national representative of Wa dance, and they are the symbols of Wa national strength.
The hair-throwing dance originated from the production and life of the Wa ancestors. Wa women love long hair, and black shawls are the beauty. Whenever the girls wash their hair with water, bow their heads under the bamboo trough to dress and dry their hair, and let the long black hair dance with the wind, such as waterfalls and wind-like dances, the hair-throwing dance will come from this. This dance is a symbol of Wa women's beauty and maturity. Hair-throwing dance has a unique style and powerful movements. In terms of dance form, it can be performed by two people or many people, but the number of people is even. Wa women are holding hands, singing and dancing, shaking their hair back and forth, left and right, like dragons and phoenixes dancing, which highlights the bold, hearty and enthusiastic Wa women and the sweet mood of young girls.
(3) jumping
? Jumping? Also called? Elephant foot drum dance? . Because the Wa people live with Dai, Lahu, Bulang and other ethnic groups alternately, their national customs, religious beliefs and other aspects influence each other, showing a phenomenon of mutual blending and unique features in dance culture. In the Wa villages in Ximeng, Cangyuan, Yongde, Zhenkang and other places, whenever cattle are sacrificed, new houses are built, new water is received, and festive festivals are popular. People personally make elephant-foot drums, and the technology has been passed down from generation to generation, and it has not been finished yet. The musical instruments of the Wa nationality and the Dai nationality are all accompanied by the elephant foot drum (the Wa nationality in Cangyuan used to use the bee barrel drum, but later switched to the elephant foot drum), cone and cymbal. The biggest difference between the two is that the Dai dance is a male group dance; Wa people's dancing is a group dance for men and women, and the dance is random and impromptu. Ximeng has a variety of dance methods for the elephant-foot drum, among which "Oh Kelang", "Snow Tube Blossom" and "Snow Pai Ji" are collected in the Wa Dance section of China Folk Dance Integration.
"Oh Kelang" is widely spread in Wa villages in Ximeng. Men, women and children can take part in it without being limited by the number of people. People dance in circles while shouting fixed slogans, and their movements are mainly made up of stepping under their feet and swinging back with their arms crossed. Xueguanduo is mainly distributed in Longkan Village, Wengjia Kelong Village, Ximeng County, where are young Wa men and women? Pick up new water? 、? Building a new house? The social dance, which is face to face and crosses in circles, is humorous and lively because the partners often twist their hips and collide with each other. "Snow Pai Ji" originated in Banyue and Poshui, Ximeng County, and is popular in various villages in Wengjiake. The most unique feature of its dance is that it can dance with a handkerchief, either holding one piece or holding one piece in each hand. Both men and women can take part in it, with diverse routines, beautiful and lively dance and rich style.
(4) Muddy dance
Muddy dance is widely circulated among Wa people. It is a kind of labor dance. The Wa nationality is a hard-working nation. In daily life, it is common for Wa women to gather in pairs around the nest and mash rice. This dance is refined from the action of Wa girls using mash rice. Originally, there were fixed occasions for dancing cymbals. Generally, this dance was only performed when a new house was built, a wooden drum was pulled, an ox was sacrificed, and the leader or a prestigious person in the village died. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, with the development of society, the restrictions of occasions have gradually broken through. In the harvest season, girls will also dance to have fun with each other and express their happy mood for a better life.
both men and women can participate in the dance, and the number of dancers is the same as that of the swing dance, which must be even, with four or six people as appropriate, or two or eight people can perform. The characteristics of the cymbal dance are that the dancers hold the mortar stick and surround the nest filled with grain. When they lift the mortar stick, they bend their knees and lean back, and when they pound rice, they lean forward into an arch, dancing forward and backward, with strong contrast and beautiful dance. Dance forms are rich and varied, and sometimes * * * with the same pestle dao rice; Sometimes you rise and fall; Sometimes I hit the edge of the nest with a pestle, making a crisp sound; Sometimes I dance with a pestle. That happy, lively dance is caused by hitting the mortar stick? Bang, bang? The sound * * * constitutes the unique harvest movement of the Wa Mountain, which fully shows the simple feelings of the Wa people who love labor and life.
There are many kinds and forms of Wa folk dances, which have two main functions: one is for sacrificial activities, and the other is for self-entertainment. In the Wa dance chapter of China National Folk Dance Integration, there is a complete record of the Wa dance expression:? By accompaniment instruments and main props, can be divided into? Wood inspiration? 、? Elephant foot drum dance? 、? Cone gong dance? 、? Beehive inspiration? 、? Lusheng dance? 、? Oral string dance? 、? Three-string dance 、? Bi Song Dance? 、? Bamboo dance? 、? Mortar dance? 、? Coffin dance? 、? Broom dance? 、? Knife dance? 、? Blanket dance? Wait? If divided by dance roles, can it be divided into? Youth dance? 、? Group dance? 、? Young women dance? 、? Moba dance? 、? Children's dance? Wait a minute. If it is divided by dance function, how can it be divided into? Sacrificial dance? 、? Funeral dance? 、? Self-entertainment dance? And? Performing dance? Wait a minute. ?
To sum up, the Wa nationality is a minority with a long history, a hardworking, kind and creative people, which is praised by experts? A nation with dancing hair? As an important part of Yunnan national dance, it has irreplaceable special value. These extremely precious Wa dances reproduce, record and pass down the footprints of ancestors' life recorded in Cangyuan rock paintings and legends in Sigangli, showing us the national spirit bravely created by the Wa ancestors through hardships in the long history. They reflect the nature view, aesthetics, religious beliefs, history and culture of the Wa ancestors, and are the cultural and artistic works of the Wa people? Living fossil? It is also a treasure of China's minority culture. ;