Artistic Characteristics of Cangzhou Rockets

One school is Yang School of Rockets, the earliest is only four whips performance, later changed to four whips, four boards of the performance. Then later on, the performance of fan was added, which was divided into five whips, three boards and two fans. In the process of passing on from generation to generation, each generation of artists has made different degrees of improvement and development of Yang Pai Luzi, so that it has become more and more perfect, leaving a valuable folk art heritage for future generations.

The other school is the cap school. At first, there was only a martial arts accompaniment, and then a cultural accompaniment was added. Cap school drop without fan performance, only two whip, eight board performance. Cangzhou people like to practise martial arts, and have long been influenced by martial arts, and thus, there is also a clear reflection in the drop dance. The basic movements of the male actors in the dance are mainly derived from the single-sword style in martial arts. For example, the "virtual step and stroke the whip" is the most basic movement of male actors. The "false step" is a triangular traveling route, which is called "triangular rivet" by the old artists. It means that the pace is steady, just like riveting on the ground. Actresses' movements, such as "pumping plate", "around the head plate", "stomping step", "false step", etc., are also close to the movements of martial arts. The traditional program of "Luozi" is mostly about the content of the program. Most of the traditional programs of Luzi express the hardship of the working people in the old society, as well as love stories and people's longing for freedom, happiness and a better life, such as Jasmine Flower, Flying a Kite, Sighing for a Lovers' Son, Embroidering a Handkerchief, and A Nun Thinking of a Nun, and so on. Among them, "Jasmine Flower" and "Flying a Kite" have been processed and organized, which are more beautiful and touching, and have become long-running preserved programs in the dance world.