From music to dance, Lusheng dance contains a slow and sad emotion. like. The dance sections and movements such as exploring the road, going up the river beach, and looking at hometown are said to be based on the ancient Miao history legend that the Miao people marched on the muddy road with heavy loads, riding backwards on the backs of oxen to look at their hometown and see whether the compatriots behind them caught up with the fleeing team. , and the reappearance of scenes such as remembering those who died while crossing the river. The arduous movements, coupled with the plaintive and whimpering sound of the sheng, give people a sense of solemnity and pathos in the dance. It seems to be a kind of historical recollection, as if it is showing people a living historical picture.
Sheng dance uses pathfinding steps as its basic dance steps. The pathfinder dancer lifts her left foot to the left in a small semicircle and lands on the ground. She leans on her right foot to the left, moves her body laterally to the left at the same time, tilts her waist slightly to the right, and makes symmetrical movements with her right foot. This kind of moving rhythm also moves sideways to the left and right sides. Like other Hua Miao dances such as flute tune and bamboo pole dance, it has its own strong national characteristics.
In addition to the slightly simpler movements such as path-finding steps and double-stepping waves, Lusheng dance also has some more difficult movements such as kneeling down, lowering down under the bench, rolling the sheng, kicking the sky with both legs, looking at home, etc. , highly skilled moves and combinations. To complete a Lusheng dance, the dancers must have a certain amount of skill and physical strength. Therefore, Lusheng dance is mostly popular among teenagers and some middle-aged people. Generally, the elderly gradually withdraw from the ranks of dancers due to their advanced age. Therefore, the Lusheng dance is not like the flute tune, in that anyone regardless of age can dance to the music.
Take the most popular self-entertainment Lusheng dance as an example. You can dance all year round, especially during the Spring Festival. On New Year's Eve, whose family will finish the New Year's dinner first, the family who likes to dance will play the Lusheng and go from house to house to ask for a dance partner. When they arrive at the door of the house, they will dance the Lusheng. Happy New Year. If the family has prepared the New Year's dinner but has not yet eaten it, the host will invite the guests to taste the New Year's dinner with his wife. If the guest refuses repeatedly, the host will give the guest a few pieces of fat meat. If the guest cannot eat it at that time, the host will give the meat to the guest. Place it in a small gourd on top of its reed. After dinner at the host's house, the dancers are asked to bring their musical instruments, put on their festive costumes, and then dance to another house with the people who come to make appointments. By the time the whole village finished running, the sheng dancing team already accounted for most of the village. Finally, all the dancers gathered in the village square and danced to the music until the morning light showed.
The Lusheng is an ancient wind instrument of the Miao people. When the Miao people play the Lusheng, they must coordinate it with dance. Lusheng dance consists of more than a dozen or even dozens of reed players dressed in costumes forming a circle, playing and dancing at the same time. It is also called "Tangtang dance". It is the most popular and widely distributed folk dance among ethnic minorities in the south. Lusheng dance has a history of more than 2,000 years and is a precious artistic wealth of the Miao people. The wise Miao people have continuously enriched and developed the connotation of Lusheng in their inheritance. With the gradual strengthening of awareness of the protection of intangible cultural heritage, this ancient art form continues to glow with new vitality.
Types of Lusheng Dance
The first type of mass Lusheng dance is called "Zhugui" in Miao language. Whenever festivals come, people go to the Lusheng field to dance the Lusheng dance. Lusheng dance is accompanied by a large Lusheng team, or led by a Lusheng team, and the crowd forms a circle dance around the Lusheng team. There is no limit to the number of people involved in this reed dance. Men, women, old and young can participate. The dance movements are relatively simple and change with the music played by the reed. As the Miao girl beats, the silver jewelry she wears will make a pleasant sound, which is full of Miao customs.
The second type is the performative Lusheng dance, which is called "Diaolaobigei" in Miao language. This reed dance is a competitive dance for men. It is usually held in traditional festivals. The dance has bright music, strong rhythm and high technical skills. Only the reed masters from each village can participate in the competition.
The third type is the customary Lusheng dance, which is a way for young men and women to express their love. The girl tied one end of the flower belt she embroidered on the reed of the young man she liked, and held the other end of the flower belt to dance with the young man. Sometimes there are several girls behind a young man holding flower belts, and the formation looks like a peacock spreading its tail, while some young men have no one behind them, which is very interesting.
Lusheng Dance·Golden Rooster Dance
Application area or unit: Danzhai County, Guizhou Province
The Golden Rooster Dance is an ancestor worship held by the Miao people every twelve years The main dance form in the event. The Golden Pheasant Dance is also often performed during folk weddings, welcoming ceremonies, and during the moon dance of young men and women.
The Golden Rooster Dance is played with the accompaniment of reeds. During the performance, the women all have tall braided hair, golden pheasant silver ornaments on their heads, embroidered ultra-short pleated skirts, a full set of silver necklaces and bracelets, and pointed embroidered shoes, all dressed up like beautiful golden pheasants.
The folk golden pheasant dance mostly uses four reeds of different specifications, including extra large trumpet, tuba, medium trumpet, and trumpet, as the main wind instruments, playing a mixture of low, medium, high, and extra high notes. Its rhythm is orderly, cheerful and smooth, and its sound quality is euphemistic and melodious, like the sound of flowing water in the mountains. The Miao language calls it GiX LaL, which means it is like flowing clouds and flowing water, unrestrained and natural. The folk golden pheasant dance has rich reed tunes and more than 100 pieces of music, which are played briskly, smoothly and beautifully. During the dance, young men (as young as three to five, as many as twenty or thirty) play the Lusheng and lead the dance, while women (mainly girls and middle-aged women, including elderly people in their seventies or eighties, and children aged five or six are welcome) Feel free to participate) form a long snake line and follow behind, jumping in circles in a counterclockwise direction. Dance gracefully with the changes in the tune of the reed and the dance steps. Sometimes the dance steps move forward slowly, sometimes in a circle in a counterclockwise direction, sometimes forward or backward, left or right, and sometimes forward or backward. The dance movements range from three, four, or seven steps, with four steps being the main step and six-step turns. There are many movements on the legs and few on the upper limbs. The natural swing of the waist and knees is the basic feature of the dance. The feet change into graceful postures according to the rhythm of the reed music, and the hands naturally sway slightly outward on both sides, and the golden pheasant silver ornament on the woman's head is about to take flight.
Just take the four-step dance as an example, with the left foot first, take a light step to the left with the left foot, then follow the right foot closer to the left foot, then take a light step with the right foot to the right, and then the left foot. Move closer to the right foot again, and then it is the turn of the left foot to step to the left, followed by the right foot. After repeating four times, jump six steps and turn clockwise (turn 180 degrees). In this way, back and forth, gradually turning sideways to form a circle and slowly Move forward. With each jump step, both knees naturally move forward at the same time, like a dragonfly touching water; the hands are naturally released on both sides and sway leisurely. When there are many people, reed players will play and dance in a circle in the middle, while women will dance in a circle on the outside. The reed music of the folk Golden Pheasant Dance is light, smooth, beautiful and rich in tunes, with more than 100 songs. In 1958, the book "Miao Lusheng" compiled and published by He Yun, Jian Qihua and Zhang Shuzhen of the Central Institute of Ethnic Music included the Golden Pheasant Dance music played by reed players in Ma Niao Village, Paidiao Town, Danzhai County, and praised Miao Lusheng music. Hometown.
Lusheng Dance · Drum, Dragon, Drum and Tiger - Changsha Long
Declaration area or unit: Guiding County, Guizhou Province
The Miao people in Gusa Village have worshiped dragons since ancient times. The dragon can call for wind and rain, and the dragon can make the world have smooth weather and good harvests. The hard-working and brave Miao people celebrate the harvest and express their love with songs and dances every harvest season, and dress themselves up like dragons. They wear black gowns, with dragon-faced horns totems on their heads, pheasant feathers on their heads, beards, and Wearing a red silver belt, he holds a thick and long reed pipe in his hand, boasting and dancing. Accompanied by the smooth melody of the reed, the silver ornaments flashed in the sunlight and made pleasant tinkling sounds. Dances such as "Dragon Fighting Horns", "Spitting Water" and "Come Out of the Cave" were full of praise for their simple charm, sincere feelings, strength and flexibility. .
The Miao Lusheng Dance of Long Shirt is only performed during funerals and rituals to worship village gods. Nowadays, this dance is performed at every major festival gathering, wedding, house building, moon dance and other traditional ethnic activities. This dance is used in funerals, and is performed at the forefront of the funeral procession; when used to worship the village gods, it is performed on the first day of the second lunar month in the Gregorian calendar when cattle are killed to worship ancestors; when used to build a house, it is often performed at the foot of the temple It is performed at the time of house foundation; when it is used for dancing on the moon, it is mostly performed in the moon jumping field activities from the first to the thirtieth day of the first lunar month.
Types
The Changshan Long Miao Lusheng Dance is a male duet dance, a four-person dance and a group dance. The dancers wear a black long gown with two pheasant feathers on their heads and a dragon face and horn totem on their heads. , wearing a beard and a red silver belt, holding a reed in his hand, blowing and dancing to the smooth melody of the reed, dancing with dragons fighting horns, dragon spitting water, dragon coming out of the cave, dragon flying on its arms, lotus flowers, paying homage and other actions. The dance style of the Longshan Miao Lusheng Dance is harmonious and graceful, with a combination of strength and softness, simple charm, and sincere emotions; the dance posture is as graceful as a swimming dragon, the fan is like a startling giant, up and down steadily, strong and flexible, and the human resembles a dragon, and the image of a dragon The dynamics of dragons and dragons reflect a deep and simple charm.
The accompaniment of this dance is the long and thick sheng pipe, the sound is deep and deep, the music rhythm is distinct, the dance movements and the music are closely integrated into one, harmonious, smooth, free and generous, showing the unique style of the Miao Lusheng dance. The dance is divided into three sections. The first section represents the appearance of dragons; the second section represents the leaping dragons and tigers; and the third section represents the dragons grabbing treasures.
Lusheng Dance · Rolling Mountain Beads
Application area or unit: Nayong County, Guizhou Province
Rolling Mountain Beads is a combination of reed playing, dance performances, and acrobatic arts It is an integrated Miao folk dance. Mountain bead rolling is originally a cheerful reed dance that imitates the pheasant (a local pheasant) playing in the mountains and forests, so its skills and body modeling are highly realistic. The performers wear hats with chicken tails on their heads (the symbol of male Qing roosters) or red-line flower hats (the symbol of female Qing roosters), and dance while playing the reed, which is obviously a representation of life. On the stage, techniques such as kicking the balls of the feet, shoulder clasps, handstands, kneeling steps, and general points often arouse bursts of applause from the audience, especially the move of rolling mountain beads (also known as rolling with knives), which always arouses bursts of applause from the audience. Cheers.
In the past, the movements of Earth Dragon Rolling on Thorns were relatively simple and naive. It mainly reproduced the process of young people conquering nature in those days. It can be performed by one person. During the performance, 6 wooden spear darts about 20 cm long are used. The dart heads are inserted into the ground to form a circle with a diameter of about 0.7 meters. Alternatively, 6 opposite rice bowls can be used to form a circle instead of the dart heads. The performer must hold a reed. While playing, jumping and rolling around a spear or water bowl, the water in the bowl cannot be poured. This kind of performance is extremely difficult and extremely thrilling. In the long-term evolution process, people gradually integrated some vivid skills in production and life into Lusheng dance, and continuously improved and perfected it.
In the long-term development process, rolling mountain beads have gradually incorporated various techniques and been continuously improved. By 1989, Lusheng Dance and Mountain Bead Dance had developed from a single performance in the past to a dance performed by 6 to 8 people at the same time. The performer holds a six-pipe reed, wears a rooster-feather hat, and an embroidered white coat. He plays the reed dance that has been passed down from generation to generation, and dances around a spear or a bowl filled with water, sometimes with the head as the foot, and the reed dance steps are consistent with the The difficulty of using the skills continues to increase as the performance progresses, showing the thrilling scenes of the Miao compatriots fearing no hardships and dangers, moving forward bravely, and overcoming all difficulties during their migration.