The Origin and Classification of Wa Dance

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 find traces of it from the history and life of the Wa people. The world-famous Cangyuan rock paintings are located on the rocks of Laimeng Township, 62 kilometers northeast of Cangyuan Wa Autonomous County, Yunnan Province, with a history of more than 3,000 years. From the rich hunting, juggling, dancing and other scenes on the screen, there are flying cattle sacrificial dances full of terrible murderous look, as well as various props; Several people danced 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 The Discovery and Evolution of Cangyuan in Yunnan? Dancing? Among them, rock painting dance is divided into three categories, namely entertainment dance, simulation dance and sacrifice dance. Secondly, in the Wa epic "Sigangli", there are descriptions of the origin of wooden drums, headhunting and cattle hunting, as well as the generation of Wa language, the invention of artificial fire, religious belief 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 find that the Wa people's folk dances appeared more than 3,000 years ago, including sacrifice, hunting, funeral and self-entertainment.

(A) Wood Drum Dance

Wood drum dance, what's the name of Wa nationality? 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 drive away evil spirits and strengthen 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, male drums and female drums are stored. It is strictly stipulated that two drums must be struck at the same time. After development, it is no longer limited by the position and number of drums. Wooden drum dance consists of four parts: pulling wooden drum, entering wooden drum room, knocking wooden drum and offering wooden drum. When dancing, the guide 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. Moba？ Sitting on the trunk, the Lamu people led the singing all the way, while catering to the shouts, singing for the festival and pulling the trunk back to the village. After the wooden drum arrived at the entrance of the village, it stopped for two or three days and waited? Moba？ Choose a good day, at this time, there will be cattle driving activities; Secondly, begin to show the process of making and placing wooden drums. Moba？ Under the guidance of, several burly men emptied the trunk with tools, and then what? Moba？ Guide the man to carry the wooden drum into the wooden drum room and put it on the shelf in a half-squatting dance step; Then, the craftsman (drummer) began to beat the wooden drum, and the whole village cheered. At this time, there are various drumming routines, which can be played by one person or two or four people. The man danced vigorously, sometimes spinning and sometimes jumping, in order to please the gods for protection, which was also the climax of the wooden drum. Finally, the ritual of 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 countryside. The basic dynamic law of wood drum dance mainly lies in the flexion and extension of the legs and the sharp pitch of the upper body. Its performance is rough, simple and solemn, with a strong primitive ceremony atmosphere. At present, the wooden drum dance in Ximeng is mainly passed down by Yan Sang, the national sacrificial inheritor of Mengka Town. The sacrificial dance of wooden drum can be roughly divided into "jumping in the wooden drum room", "knocking on the wood to inspire", "beheading with a knife", "sending the head dance" and "head dance".

(2) Dance

Fawu, what's your name? I like this tail. Hey? It is a dance for Wa women to entertain themselves. This kind of dance can be performed in other seasons and occasions, except for offering sacrifices to cows, funerals and building new houses. 1965 was created by the Wa women in Xiaoxinzhai, Song Yue Township, Ximeng County, and spread to Ximeng. At first, the action of throwing dance was relatively simple, and later it was 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 on the ground. "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.

Hair dance originated from the production and life of Wa ancestors. Wa women love long hair, and black shawl hair looks good. Whenever the girls wash their hair with water, they bow their heads and dress under the bamboo trough to dry their hair, so that the long black hair dances with the wind, such as a waterfall dancing with the wind, and the hair dance comes from this. This dance is a symbol of the beauty and maturity of Wa women. Hair-throwing dance has a unique style and powerful movements. In terms of dance form, it can be performed by two people or by many people, but the number of people is even. Wa women are holding hands, singing and dancing, and their hair is shaking back and forth and left and right, dancing like dragons and phoenixes, which highlights the boldness, hearty and enthusiasm of Wa women and the sweet mood of girls.

(3) Jump pendulum

? Jump? Also called? Elephant foot drum dance? . Because the Wa people live alternately with the Dai, Lahu and Bulang ethnic groups, their national customs, religious beliefs and other aspects influence each other, showing a phenomenon of mutual blending and unique dance culture. In the Wa villages in Ximeng, Cangyuan, Yongde, Zhenkang and other places, every time cows are sacrificed, new houses are built and new water is taken, and people are beaming. People personally make elephant foot drums, and the technology has been passed down from generation to generation, so far it has not been completed. The musical instruments of the Wa and Dai ethnic groups are equipped with elephant foot drums (the Wa ethnic group in Cangyuan used to use bee barrel drums, but later changed to elephant foot drums), cones and cymbals. The biggest difference between the two is that Dai dance is a male group dance; The dance of the Wa nationality is a group dance of men and women, and the dance is casual and impromptu. There are a variety of dance methods for the elephant foot drum in Ximeng, among which "O Ke Lang", "Snow Tube bloom" and "Snow Pai Ji" are included in the Wa dance section of "China Folk Dance Integration".

"Oh Krone" is widely spread in Wa villages in Ximeng. Men, women and children can participate, regardless of the number of people. People dance in circles while shouting fixed slogans. The movements mainly consist of stepping on their feet and swinging back with their arms crossed. Snow officials are mainly distributed in Longkan Village, Wengjia Kelong Village, Ximeng County, where there are young Wa men and women. Pick up new water? 、? Building a new house? This kind of face-to-face, circle-crossing ballroom dance is humorous and lively because the partners often twist their hips and collide with each other. The "Snow Brand Story" originated in Ximeng County for half a month and splashed water, which was popular in Wengjiake villages. The most unique thing about its dance is that it can dance with a handkerchief, either holding one in one hand or one in the other. Both men and women can participate, with diverse routines, beautiful and lively dances and rich styles.

(4) Dance in Tang Dynasty

Dance is widely circulated among Wa people. This is a kind of labor dance. Wa people are a hardworking people. In daily life, it is common for Wa women to gather in pairs around their nests to mash rice. This dance evolved from the action of Wa girls using glutinous rice. At first, there were fixed occasions for jumping cymbals. Generally, this dance is only performed when building a new house, pulling wooden drums, offering sacrifices to cows, village leaders or prestigious people die. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, with the development of society, the restrictions on occasions have gradually broken through. In the harvest season, girls will dance, have fun with each other and express their happy mood for a better life.

Both men and women can participate, and the number of people is the same as that of swing dance. It must be even, and four or six people are appropriate, or two or eight people can perform. The cymbal dance is characterized by dancers holding mortar sticks and surrounding a nest full of food. 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 back and forth, with strong contrast and beautiful dance. Dance forms are rich and varied, sometimes * * * with a pestle; Sometimes you have ups and downs; Sometimes I knock on the edge of the nest with a pestle and make a crisp sound; Sometimes I dance with a pestle. That kind of cheerful and lively dance is caused by hitting mortar sticks? Bang, bang? The bright * * * constitutes the unique harvest movement of the Wa nationality, 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 sacrificial activities, and the other is self-entertainment. There is a complete record of the expression of the Wa dance in the Wa dance section of "Integration of Ethnic and Folk Dances in China":? According to the accompaniment instruments and main props, can be divided into? Wood inspiration? 、? Elephant foot drum dance? 、? Cone gong dance? 、? Honeycomb inspiration? 、? Lusheng dance? 、? Oral string dance? 、? Three-string dance? Bige 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 dancing? 、? Moba dance? 、? Children dance? Wait a minute. If it is divided by dance function, how to divide it? Sacrificial dance? 、? Funeral dance? 、? Amuse yourself and dance? And then what? Performing dance? Wait a minute. ?

To sum up, the Wa nationality is a minority with a long history, and it is a hardworking, kind and creative nation, which is praised by experts? A country with dancing hair? As an important part of Yunnan national dance, it has irreplaceable special value. These extremely precious Wa dances reproduce, record and inherit the footprints of ancestors' life recorded in Cangyuan rock paintings and Sigangli legends, and show us the national spirit bravely created by Wa ancestors through hardships in the long history. They reflect the natural view, aesthetic view, religious belief, 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 minority culture.

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