The Significance of the Inheritance of the Yi Smoke Box Dance

The Cigarette Box Dance, as one of the most characteristic dances of the Yi ethnic group in southern Yunnan, shows the history, morality, values and way of thinking of the Yi ethnic group with its unique dance vocabulary, which has high research value in the fields of ethnology, folklore and sociology. Its rich and varied dance routines and profound dance connotations show the outstanding dance creation and artistic comprehension of the Yi people. Through the skillful use of head, feet, body, hands, waist and other body parts, the Cigarette Box Dance expresses the unique aesthetic interests of the Yi people in a beautiful way, and at the same time, the difficult dance techniques such as the downward spiral roll also have high artistic value. With its unique artistic charm, the Cigarette Box Dance is widely loved by local ethnic groups and has become a platform for strengthening unity and enhancing friendship among ethnic groups. With the changes of the times, the human environment of the smoke box dance has changed dramatically, the traditional custom of eating fireweed smoke has disappeared, the smoke box dance has a single style, the connotation of the trend of superficiality, the traditional flavor of the smoke box dance classic routine on the verge of being lost, and urgently need to be rescued.

The state attaches great importance to the protection of intangible cultural heritage, on May 20, 2006, the Yi smoke box dance was approved by the State Council to be included in the first batch of national intangible cultural heritage list.