Although traditional Jingxing Lahua belongs to the category of Yangko, it has its own distinctive artistic characteristics. She uses "shoulder twisting", "arm twisting", "wrist turning", "leg sucking", "foot kicking" and other movements as her main dance vocabulary, forming a unique artistic style that combines hardness and softness, and is rough and implicit. Her dancing postures are novel, stretching and toned, bending and stretching generously, and changing rhythms quickly. She is good at expressing various emotions such as joy and sorrow, love and so on. There are many latte art props and rich connotations, each with its own symbolic meaning. Such as an umbrella - good weather; a baggage - abundant food and clothing; a flat plate - peace in all seasons; a whip - martial arts and martial arts; a vase - peace and happiness... The traditional Jingxing latte art mainly includes "Liuhehe Spring", "Selling Wool Thread", "Looking forward to the fifth update", "Xia Guandong", etc. The number of performers varies, originally 4-11 people, but now, there is as little as 2 people, and as many as hundreds or thousands of people.
The music of Jingxing Lahua is an independent genre. It has the charm of Hebei blowing songs, the tones of folk songs, folk tunes and opera tunes, as well as the rich color of temple music and palace music. It is simple and elegant, refreshing and melodious, deep and beautiful, strong and steady. Its style is characterized by being strong but not wild, soft but not sloppy, flashy but not flashy, sad but not weeping. Its outstanding feature is its distinctive rhythm. It complements the calm, subtle, vigorous and heroic style of latte art, and the music and dance are integrated into one seamless whole. Today's Jingxing latte art not only maintains the traditional style, but also has a distinct flavor of the times. When the lineup is huge, the momentum is magnificent. When the team is refined, its characteristics stand out. The dance language is colorful, the music melody is exciting, and it has rich and perfect emotional capacity and wonderful and moving artistic tension. The music of Jingxing Lahua is an independent genre. It has the charm of Hebei blowing songs, temple music, and palace music. It is strong but not wild, soft but not overwhelming, flashy but not flashy, sad but not weeping, and is similar to Lahua. The deep, subtle, vigorous and heroic styles of flower dance complement each other, and the music and dance are integrated into a seamless whole. Traditional latte music is mostly in Gong and Zheng modes, followed by Shang and Yu modes. The rhythm is slow, mostly in 4/4 time, and the characteristic accompaniment instruments include palm gongs and so on.
Artists say that latte art did not have its own system of music in the past, and was only accompanied by some simple percussion instruments. Today, Wujianao latte art still retains this characteristic. The latte art music you hear today is not specifically for latte art. As for the origin of these music, there are two legends among artists: one is that Wu Jin, a native of Nanzheng Village, was the minister of Taichang Temple who presided over the ceremony. After retiring from old age and returning home, they brought back palace music. For example, the late Zhang Huai of Nanzheng introduced lahua tunes such as Wannian Huan and Ivy. According to the elders, they became popular in the Yuan Dynasty. "History of Ancient Chinese Dance" mentions that Wannianhuan was included in the performance of the Yuan Dynasty palace banquets. This shows that it is possible for Wu Jin to spread the palace music among the people. Another theory is passed down by monks in temples. In the past, monks and Taoists were good at playing wind instruments, and musicians often formed a close relationship with them, either to learn skills from each other, or to have them become apprentices and teach their skills. The latte art band at Jingxingnan Shimen was cultivated by monks from Luobo Temple. The tune "Xiaoerfan" is commonly used in temples for performing rituals.
In the past, high-level latte art bands not only served dance, but also independently used as worship music in specific temples. The content of latte art, whether happy or sad, sad or joyful, was always the same. In music, harmony is not without disharmony. The latte art in some villages first learned music from this temple, then learned dance from another place, and finally merged together. Therefore, latte art music and dance do not coexist. This is consistent with what is stated in Zhengding Prefecture Chronicles: In ancient times, dancing did not coincide with singing, but... nowadays, dancing and singing in Confucian temples are integrated. Therefore, once the music is played, the sound and appearance are both complete. It can be seen that the latte art music that participates in folk sacrificial activities is also likely to be a specific music formed by the integration of dance and singing. The traditional costumes, props and costumes of latte art are closely related to local folk customs. Therefore, the characteristics presented are the most local and national.
Plum blossoms bring five blessings, and bamboos bring three blessings (traditional couplet). In the old days, plum blossoms were painted on the cheeks of male latte art characters to represent the five blessings, namely longevity, good fortune, health, peace, good virtue, and longevity (book, Hong Fan). Some also painted chrysanthemum (auspicious) flowers as auspicious symbols. Flower. They painted images of the five poisons such as scorpions, snakes, centipedes, geckos, and toads from their foreheads to their noses in the hope that they would be able to use the worm poison (Lü Zhongyu's "The Five Poisons of Mackerel and Guyu"). On the face of the ugly woman in the female role, a white diagonal line or dot is drawn from the side of the right eyebrow through the bridge of the nose to the left to the cheekbone to achieve the purpose of evil (slanting).
The props used in latte art are mostly props commonly used in Han folk dances, such as colorful silk, colorful fans, umbrellas, whips, Taiping, etc. On this basis, various kinds of latte art are added according to their own needs. For example, Zhuang Wang's flower seller's role tells the story of a seller selling wool. He added a seller's drum and a seller's stand according to the needs of his role. Another example is the Nanping Wangla Flower Sending Beauty, which tells the story of escorting a beautiful woman into the palace, and adds a makeup box for the beautiful woman to wash and dress up. But most latte art has a prop that is rarely seen in other folk dances - a vase.
According to "Zhengding Prefecture Chronicles": Vase is an indispensable sacrificial vessel in memorial activities to pray for peace. It can still be seen in folk activities. There is no basis for why it appears as a prop. But it adds a bit of beauty to the latte art. The pen-stick beard (also called the rolling mustache) is a prop that is not in the hand, but is worn on the male character's lips. It is unique. It pushes up the upper lip to drive the pen-stick to roll, thus exaggeratingly showing the blowing and glaring look. funny look. In the hands of the silly boy pulling flowers, he holds props such as carrots or lotus buds. The application of these props is obviously a relic of ancient fertility worship.
The photo of latte art printed in the "Jingxing County Chronicles" published in 1934 belongs to the type of latte art. His costumes were a mixture of theatrical costumes and civilian costumes from the Qing Dynasty. People in Jingxing loved drama, which had become popular as early as the late Ming and early Qing dynasties. At that time, almost every village in Jingxing had its own theater building, and the costumes imitated those in the drama. The popular characters are also explained in "Jingxing County Chronicles": buy costumes and perform singing and dancing with actors every year. The latter may be the result of not being able to afford decent costumes, so artists can only wear everyday clothes.
The costumes of Di Lahua are similar, and most of them follow the costumes of the Qing Dynasty. Men wear melon shell hats on their heads, partial-breasted gowns on their upper bodies, the front and rear hems are lifted up with needlework, a waistcoat, and bloomers on their lower bodies. The legs are tied with straps, the wrists are tied with button sleeves, the feet are covered in cloud shoes, the waist is tied with colorful silk, and two beautifully embroidered money bags are tucked around the waist. The ugly woman in the female role has a big bun, tied with silk flowers hanging down by her right ear. She wears a half-breasted shirt, a skirt and colorful silk waist, and a bag slung over her right shoulder. The other female characters have a long braid hanging down the back of their heads, flowers on their hair, a long gown that does not reach the knees, a trimmed waistcoat, colorful trousers, colorful shoes, and a colorful silk tie at the waist. Each role is played according to the role played. The age characteristics of old, middle, young and young have some changes in color, that is: young and young people need brighter colors, while old and middle-aged people need lighter colors. The instruments used in lahua include bassoon, small tube, diaphragm flute, sheng, leading erhu, three-stringed strings, four-stringed strings, knocking qin, cloud gongs, small cymbals, small cymbals, and flat drums. The double-pipe band can have up to 20 people. Nowadays, most of them are single strings. Only 9 people make up the band with each instrument.
The music of latte art consists of Qupai and folk songs. It has about a dozen tunes, such as Wannianhuan, Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter, Ivy, Xiaoerfan, Pink Lotus, Yan Nanfei, Mo, and Eight Banners. The Eight Ban tunes are widely used by latte art in every village, and artists He said he was doing the eight-plank twist.
The music left by the ancients is no longer suitable for the expressive power of dance. During the development of latte art in some villages, it has absorbed a large number of local popular folk songs, reaching as many as ten. Some sing Combined with the content of dance, such as the Ballad of the Merchant, Looking forward to the fifth watch, etc. However, most of the singing and dancing content have nothing to do with each other, such as Picking Peppers, Border Dialogue, Widow's Dilemma, Liangshan Heroes, There is a Master Bao, etc. However, the latte art in a large number of villages still only has three or four monotonous pieces of music. .
The musical modes of latte art are mostly Gong, Hui, and Yu tunes, with medium-tempo rhythms of 2/4 or 4/4.
The music of latte art is simple, elegant and beautiful when played. The ups and downs of the tones express the strong, steady and bold feelings of the dance, resulting in both voice and appearance, a high degree of unity in hearing and vision, and giving people Enjoy great beauty.
Latte art music has the charm of Hebei blowing songs and the color of temple music. Strong but not wild, soft but not arrogant, flashy but not flashy, sad but not weeping, they complement the deep, connotative, vigorous and heroic style of latte art dance. Music and dance are integrated and integrated, leaving an unforgettable beauty to the audience. .
Guanzi is the soul of latte art music. It plays the leading role and plays and stops in the music. The simple, rough, rich, and slightly sad tone brings people into the deep disasters of the Jingxing people in the past, and is perfectly integrated with the dance. The high pitch of the small pipe, the portamento, vibrato and dots of the membrane flute echo each other with the bassoon, and the sheng combines the music with chords of thirds and fifths. The Yunluo is characterized by its crisp and melodious question-and-answer-style wheel playing, and the polyphonic melody is coordinated with the bassoon.
The small cymbals and small cymbals are clicked according to the patterns. The strict division of labor and close cooperation make people feel no boredom in playing in unison. Guan, sheng, flute and gong are the indispensable main instruments in latte music, which constitute the unique artistic charm and rich local flavor of latte art. Although Jingxing Lahua belongs to the category of Yangko, it has its own distinctive characteristics. She uses shoulder shaking, wrist turning, arm twisting, leg sucking, foot kicking and other movements as her main dance vocabulary, forming a unique artistic style that combines hardness and softness, roughness and subtlety. She dances with strong postures, generous stretches, generous bends and extensions, and rapid changes in ups and downs. She is good at expressing the emotions of tragedy, nostalgia, love, and progress.
Lahua has many differences with other Han folk dances. It sings and dances, and its movements belong to the category of Yangko. It uses props to express emotions with objects, raises its arms, and uses fans, umbrellas, and boards to express emotions. , whips, etc. are flying up and down, colorful and graceful. This is also a unique style of Han folk dance. Fan Chengda said in "Thirty-two Rhymes of Wuzhong Jiewu Haiku Style in the Upper Yuan Dynasty": Folk drum music is called Shehuo. It cannot be remembered in detail, and it is mostly used as a joke to make fun of. Latte art does not break away from the characteristics of humor and teasing. For example, the Saul skirt in the Tie Lahua, the silly boy's provocative and vulgar actions in the Tie Lahua, and the male character's wild eyes are all used to make fun of people, which may be related to the aesthetic taste of the local people. In addition to the above, latte art has an obvious personality and unique characteristics, which are related to the local natural environment, customs, and people's appreciation habits. It comes from people's lives, and the movements must be refined, exaggerated, and beautified from life. Her rhythm can be summarized as: the confrontation of the inner strength and elasticity of fierceness and crispness, twisting and stretching.
The rhythm of latte art movements is mostly two beats changing into one movement. There is a way to start before the movement. This is to close before releasing. There is a time difference between the start and the connection. The strong beat action should be fierce and explosive. The action process is like adding dotted notes, like drawing a bow and stretching it outwards. In the second half of the weak beat, the preparation for connecting to the next action is neatly completed. attitude. Artists say that you need to step on the board to perform twists and turns, which means that you are in tune with the rhythm. If you step on the rhythm, it means that the board is correct. When starting latte art, you need to inhale quickly to give people a clear sense of lifting. After the strong beat, exhale, and slowly release the breath as the movement stretches. The use of breath affects the emotion, rhythm and charm of the movement. , used well, not only has distinctive style and characteristics, but also enhances the charm of art.
Since latte art is in a straight-to-the-point, walking-and-climbing environment, when climbing uphill, you need to step up and raise your legs, leaning forward. When going downhill, your knees are in a state of tension and your body is slightly tilted up. Therefore, Men's dance steps should be slow at first, knees should be bent, and steps should be steady. Women's dance steps require a bow for advancement, a bow for retreat, and feet turned outward. Knee bending occurs throughout the movement, and even knee extension is short-lived. Every time you perform a movement, the main leg rises and falls with the rhythm of the movement. When the legs change movements, you need to use the power leg to push hard at the moment it hits the ground. Go and finish. Especially the women's dance steps are like pedaling up a mountain on a rainy day, when the mountain is steep and the road is slippery. The artist said that the step is no more than half a brick, and the back legs mostly use a T-step, which promotes sideways, pitching and retreating dance postures.
The upper body movements and steps of latte art are closely integrated. The shoulders of the upper limbs are the key. A push, a shrug, a twist, or a press of the shoulders can best highlight the style of latte art. The shoulder is the power point of the arm, elbow and hand, and the shoulder moves the arm with it. For example, press the left shoulder in front of the left arm and lift the left arm back to hook the wrist, hunch the right shoulder, bend the right elbow and hook the wrist in front of the chest, twist the left shoulder outward in the strong beat, and at the same time raise the arm and turn the hand to lift the button in the strong beat. The right shoulder is pressed down again, causing a chain reaction of turning, moving, extending, and retracting the arms and hands, making people feel the confrontation of inner forces, elastic extension and tough tension. Mastering the latte art style requires careful observation of the rhythm of shoulders, arms, and hands. In terms of performance form, latte art can be divided into two types: rocker latte art and ground latte art. The so-called stiletto latte is a person who plays a female role and performs with her feet on stilts. The representative genre is Gudila hua. Later, the stilts evolved into a kind of stand-up toes like those in Western ballet, with wooden stilts used for poking. It is tied to the feet and worn with shoes and socks to cover it, just like the three-inch golden lotus worn by ancient women. When performing, actors can only perform by maintaining a tiptoe posture. Although the female character in this kind of latte art is a man disguised as a woman, due to the influence of the stilts, the body leans forward, the chest is swollen, the waist is slumped, the buttocks are raised, and the movements are charming, which vividly reproduces the charm of ancient women.
It is very difficult to master the rocker pattern, and it takes a long time of training before it can be performed. There is a saying that it is practiced for three winters in winter and three springs in spring. It is especially difficult when the legs are tied and poked. There is a popular saying in Jingxing that the latte art that sticks to the ground - "a piece of work" is a saying that describes the difficulty of poking the jigsaw. At the end of the Qing Dynasty and the beginning of the Ming Dynasty, this type of latte art entered its heyday and was officially hailed as the third of the four major gods-welcoming games in Jingxing County.
As women relaxed and the masses' aesthetics changed, this kind of latte art gradually declined. Some, such as the Nanping Wangla flower, were liberated from the stilts and evolved into a kind of ground stilt flower that is different from the stilt flower.
As the name suggests, latte art is a kind of latte art that dances on the ground. Since this type of latte art is less acrobatic than rocker latte art, it is more widely spread. Especially in recent years, with the substantial increase in the number of latte art players and the expansion of performance venues, many dance moves and formation changes require running to complete. , Delavia has been widely inherited. To this day, the latte art schools of Nanzheng, Zhuangwang, Nanpingwang, Changgang, Zhuangzitou, and Chengguan all belong to the category of latte art.
It can be seen from the inheritance of latte art style that inheritance itself is development. Without inheritance, there would be no development. In the process of inheritance, art will develop unconsciously.