origin
There are many touching legends about the origin of peacock dance among the Dai people. One of them is like this: according to legend, a long time ago, the leader of the Dai nationality was called Masu, who led 4,000 people to seek happiness. When it was time to "dream less", they heard the sound of fruit falling into the water and the sound of fish eating water, and saw the peacock dancing with this wonderful sound. When they come back, they imitate these sounds and peacock's movements. Peacock dance danced with drums and cymbals. In some ancient murals and sculptures of temples in Myanmar, we can see many vivid images of peacock, which are very similar to peacock dance wearing a pointed helmet, a mask and a peacock suit. There is also a record about peacock dance in Nanzhao unofficial history in the Ming Dynasty: "When you get married, you should take Lusheng as peacock dance ...", which shows that peacock dance has a long history.
behaviour
Peacock dance is usually performed by one person, two or three people. Whenever the dancers dance happily, everyone cheers "I-I" and "water-water", and the atmosphere is very warm. There are relatively fixed performances in peacock dance, which imitate peacocks flying out of their nests, observing sensitively, walking peacefully, searching for water, drinking water, playing in water, taking a bath, flapping their wings, drying their wings, spreading their wings and flying freely and happily.
Peacock dance's movements are extremely rich. The most common gestures are palm gesture, peacock gesture (thumb slightly buckled inward, index finger bent backward, and the other three fingers tilted like a fan) and eye gesture (index finger and thumb slightly close, and the other three fingers tilted like a fan). There are steps, "ups and downs" (the strength leg is driven by the heel to kick to the hip, and then the whole foot touches the ground, and the main leg bends and stretches accordingly).
The movements of Dai peacock dance have strict procedures and requirements: there is a beginning form before each movement and an ending form after it; There are fixed footwork, position map and fixed action combination; Each action combination is accompanied by a fixed drum. Peacock dance's dance vocabulary is particularly rich, including "flying down the mountain", "peeping in the forest", "walking in the forest", "flapping its wings" and "splashing water", which vividly simulates the peacock's expression.
Dai peacock dance's light and delicate style, delicate emotional expression and graceful dancing are the crystallization of the wisdom of the Dai people and have high aesthetic value. It is not only performed alone in important and lively national festivals, but also often incorporated into the group dance Gaguang. Peacock dance has the significance of maintaining the unity of the Dai people, and its representativeness makes it the dance with the most cultural identity of the Dai people.
style
From the style of dance, it can be summarized into the following three categories: The first category is male peacock dance. There are more people dancing this kind of dance. Knees are undulating, firm and tough. Dance has obvious "three bends" characteristics. The second is female peacock dance. In the folk, most of them are performed by men. Knee ups and downs are flexible and slow, with graceful dance and delicate movements, and the chest and shoulders are often arched, reflecting its subtle and charming form, and the drums are light and slow. Third, peacock dance Jr. Always keep a semi-squat state with quick tremors and short steps, keep your calves flexible and light, and often shrug your shoulders continuously, drum fast and light. Dai language is called "Guang Jia" or "Fanguang" (Dai language calls drums "light" and dances "Jia"). "Guang Jia" is the most popular male dance in Dai areas. Whenever seedlings are sown and the harvest season is over, elephant-foot drums will be performed to celebrate. The elephant foot drum is not only a prop of folk dance, but also a main instrument to accompany other dances. Dai entertainment, dancing must have drums, drums must have dancing. Only with the accompaniment of the elephant foot drum can the dance be colorful and hearty.
origin
There are many folklore about the elephant foot drum and its dance. It is said that there was a couple in ancient times who took a nap by the pool after work. Suddenly, the wind blew the ripe mango from the tree into the water, making a "pop" sound, which brought them joy. After returning home, they hollowed out the tree according to the elephant's feet and covered it with cowhide to make drums. In a hurry, they danced with drums on their backs, and soon the elephant foot drum dance spread. He added: A long time ago, two young people who domesticated elephants made elephant foot drums based on their feet. There is also a record that "the big and small leather drums were pressed by hand" in the biography of white clothes in Ming Dynasty.
behaviour
During the performance, the dancer carries an elephant foot drum on his left shoulder, with the drum facing forward and the tail of the drum facing down. The right hand plays the drum and the left hand cooperates. Beat the drum surface with fists, palms and fingers, sometimes with elbows, knees, heels and toes. The elephant foot drum dance is vigorous and rough. The ups and downs of the knees are closely coordinated with the drumming action. When you beat the drum with your hands, your knees are bent. When you raise your hand, your knees will stand up straight. There are many dance steps, such as "squatting forward", "squatting backward", "full-step squatting" and "eight-character squatting". There are also moves such as taking one leg as the main force and the other leg doing postures such as walking, lifting and kicking, as well as sucking, kicking, bouncing and jumping across the legs.
classify
There are three shapes of drums: long, medium and small. There are three different ways to jump according to the shape of drums.
The first kind, long elephant foot drum dance. It is mainly popular in Ruili County, Gengma Mengding, Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture and Menglian District of Dehong Autonomous Prefecture. The drum is about two meters long. Because it is heavier, it is often used for dance accompaniment. When dancing, the steps are slow and steady, and the knees are undulating. Drum is the most abundant, and a certain drum language has been formed, which can express the feelings of happiness, anger, sadness and joy of the Dai people.
Second, China elephant foot drum dance. It is mainly popular in luxi county, Yingjiang, Gengma, Jinggu, Mengdong and some areas of Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture. The drum length is about1.5m, which is relatively light. Its main feature is to swing the drum tail and throw it up when dancing. Because the tail of the drum is tied with clusters of peacock feathers, it swings very beautifully. Drum-shaking is to let the drum tail shake left and right. Drum-shaking is to press the drum head down and shake the drum tail up. Elephant foot drum dance is not only danced in festivals, but also has a special drum competition day every year. The winning criteria are the length of the drum sound, the quality of the timbre and the swing of the drum tail.
Third, the little elephant foot drum dance. It is only popular in Xishuangbanna. The drum is less than one meter long and has rich movements. It is often used as the accompaniment of peacock dance. The action range is large, including sucking leg jump, bouncing leg jump and lifting leg. "Ending with light" means that everyone dances around the drum. It is the most popular and popular group dance of Dai people. Unlimited place and time. Dozens or hundreds of people can dance in a circle clockwise and dance all night during the festival.
The dance is simple and enthusiastic, with outstanding features. Women's knees vibrate evenly and dance smoothly. Generally speaking, the main steps are "step", "up and down", "step by step" and "lunge". Hand movements are relatively simple. Generally, the hand is a natural hand, and the wrist is alternately wound down or the hand is pulled up from the armpit.
Sister-in-law and old man are dancing in the inner circle. Old people move slowly and their knees fluctuate obviously. They often express their excitement by leaning forward and leaning back greatly. Their movements are free to play, while young people outside the circle demand uniformity. Drums accompanied by lights are very rich. The Dai language is called Gaba. Mainly spread in Ruili County and dehong autonomous prefecture, and gradually spread to other areas after liberation.
It is said that the Dai people discovered fish, learned to fish, and danced like fish. There are only one or two performers in the fish dance, and the dancers dance with fish-shaped props. Fish dance is softer, more delicate, more flexible and more lively than other Dai folk dances. Mainly manifested in ups and downs, gentle knees and half-broken palms, agile and lively small jumps. It shows that when fish swim in calm water, they often walk with their whole feet or half feet bent without ups and downs, and their hands and upper body just swing from side to side. When fish play in the water or fight against the rapids, they often use jumping movements such as jumping, jumping and turning, which are vivid and realistic.
Fish dance mostly adopts the fish-shaped hand style (one hand covers the back of the other hand with the palm of his hand, and the thumb is extended), or the typical action is that both hands circle outwards and the arm swings backwards. The drums of fish dance are slow and light, and the richness of drum language is no less than that of peacock dance. The Dai language is called "Lun Jia". This is an ancient folk dance, and Dai people dance in grand festivals. Mainly popular in Ruili City and dehong autonomous prefecture.
Legend has it that the rain god ran away a long time ago, and it didn't rain in Dai areas, and the land was scorched. The Dapeng bird ignored his wife holding the egg and launched a life-and-death struggle with the rain god. A few days later, Dapeng defeated the rain god and made it rain, but Dapeng bird's wife and children had already starved to death. In order to show their respect for Dapeng, the Dai people made Dapeng bird dance, which has been passed down to this day.
Dapeng bird dance is vigorous and powerful, rough and powerful. Dance mainly shows the action of Dapeng bird fighting the rain god and its temperament of not being afraid of violence. The action changes quickly and forcefully, and the modeling time is long. The "three bends" dance has prominent edges and corners. For example, the appearance action is generally a big jump followed by a big dance, showing the heroic spirit of Dapeng bird falling rapidly from the air. Claw hand (finger fan) and palm hand are used, which strengthen the action. There are only one or two performers in Dapeng Bird Dance. In the past, we used to wear Dapeng bird props and masks when dancing, but now most of them have been abandoned and dance movements have been fully developed. Drums are extremely rich and deep and powerful. Dai language is called "Jiayang" and "Jiayang". This is a group dance that young people dance in festivals. Mainly popular in Ruili, mangshi, Yingjiang and other places in Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture.
In the past, few dancers wore white clothes and danced with two bright red ribbons tied to their shoulders. Snow-white egrets are common in bamboo forests or rice fields near Dai villages. There are different legends about the origin of crane dance. There is a saying that in ancient times, there was a poor young man who worked hard every day. The crane loves him very much and dances gracefully for him. After that, the young man danced with the crane affectionately. Later, people turned this dance into a duet for young people. He also said: A people named Yang have been to Dehong area, and this kind of dance is to show their working process in the fields.
Generally speaking, the crane dance is mainly based on opposition, and the movements are relative. The formation usually appears in two horizontal rows, and after meeting, it becomes two vertical rows, four rows and two circles. A person often directs various movements and graphic transformations. The movements of the crane dance are simple and elegant. The rhythm of dance steps is different from other Dai folk dances. In the weak racket, the knees bend quickly and the strength legs lift up quickly. During the remake, the knees are straight, and the power legs land lightly, vividly imitating the walking movements of cranes. There are special movements such as chest patting and chest arching. These drums are light and simple. The Dai language is called "Jiadong", which is a collective dance of young people. Mainly popular in Dehong Prefecture and parts of Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture. Nowadays, it is only danced on major festivals, which has become an organized dance performance.
From an early age, whenever religious festivals such as the Songkran Festival come, boys and girls flock to deep forests and rivers to collect the brightest and most beautiful flowers, and then sing and dance with the drums of elephants and send them to Myanmar temples to build flower pavilions. This ancient custom has been passed down in Dai villages to this day.
There is a legend about the origin of the garland dance: once upon a time, a poor young man went to the dam and felt that his clothes were in rags, so he picked many flowers and tied them into garlands. After going down the mountain, he danced with the happy elephant drums, and a girl fell in love with him. Thus, the garland dance was born.
Garlands are made by tying bright flowers to bamboo fences about two meters long. When dancing, hold both ends of the wreath with both hands, while moving the pace, while focusing on the change of the wreath. And form patterns with national characteristics. When the garland dance jumps to bliss, it is conducted by one person, and the dancers turn from adagio to allegro together, with steps and "wrong jumps". In Dai language, knife dances and dances such as sticks, fists and sticks are called "annoying", "ending" and "making". This is a male dance. Spread in the vast Dai areas, similar to the martial arts of the Han nationality.
In the scenic Dai township, Dai men wear refined sharp knives, which symbolize their courage and strength. Knives are also a favorable tool for productive labor. Knife dance is called "Jia La" or "Fan La" in Dai language. Strong and powerful movements such as "stomping feet", "jumping legs", "kicking" and "squatting and sliding" are rare in Dai folk dances.
Knife dance has different schools, such as single knife, double knife, short knife, long knife (similar to sword) and local, inland, Myanmar and so on. Each school has its own strict performance procedures and movements. It can be performed by one person to more than a dozen people, without accompaniment, or accompanied by an elephant foot drum. Sticks, sticks and fists are basically similar to knife dancing. Also known as "Fanduo", it is a prop dance. This kind of dance used to be performed on grand religious festivals, but it was only popular in Mengding and Menglian counties of Gengma County.
Duo is a deified animal, which is said to have a lion's head, a dog's mouth, antlers, a long neck and fine hair. This dance is called "Red Deer Dance" in Chinese. Jiaduo is still dancing with props. These roads are ten feet long and eight feet long. They are woven into a circle of 45 cm with bamboo grates, wrapped in cloth, and cut white paper is stuck on it as feathers. Usually two people work together to dress up as a red deer. The dancers in front decorated the red deer's head and front half, and supported her neck with sticks. The dancers at the back grabbed their tails and made quick little jumps, fell down and turned to both sides. The dance steps and drums are similar to those of peacock dance. It is also commonly known as "annoying to congratulate." Popular in Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture.
On festive days such as "Buddha Bathing Festival" and "Summer Festival", the Dai people will happily dance this dance, which is named after each lyric with the "Yila River" as the lining. The characteristics of IRAH dance are similar to those of Gabbana dance. The Dai language is called "Jiayao". Popular in Mengding and Ruili counties of Gengma County, Dehong Prefecture.
It is said that the butterfly dance is created to create new faces during the competition. During the performance, the dancers tied butterfly-shaped props to their bodies to imitate the flying patterns of butterflies, and their movements and drums were similar to those of the popular Little peacock dance in Jinping County. It's hot and rainy there, and daily life and work can't be separated from hats. That's why there is the hat dance.
The actions of the hat include "lifting the hat", "rolling the hat in front", "rolling the shoulder hat" and "throwing the hat". When dancing, the knees are gentle and slightly bent, but not obvious. Dai language is called "jiadian". It is a performance ritual dance, which is mainly popular in Xishuangbanna.
The dance is gentle and subtle, and it often adopts actions such as sitting, standing, kneeling, stepping up and down, lifting the front side, bending the legs back, holding the lighted wax bar with both hands, and drawing a circle with your hands out. Dai language is called "Gai Gai". Popular in children dance, mangshi, Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture.
Dance mainly imitates chicken foraging, fighting and other actions, with long jumping time and fast speed as the victory. Children usually count and dance without musical instruments. Ma Xishuang in Dai language is a kind of song and dance performed by twelve people, which is popular in Yingjiang County, mangshi and other places in Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture.
The performer wears horse-shaped props around his waist, pulls the reins in one hand and holds a fan in the other. The main reason is that he runs halfway, his soles are broken and shaking, changing various formations. Usually he sings about twelve months' labor, and sometimes he performs a story. It means "the dance of the little princess or young lady". In the past, it was only danced during religious festivals or when the toasts got married and succeeded to the throne. It is mainly popular in Cangyuan County, Lincang. Singing is the main content, including singing about marriage, love and twelve months of productive labor. When dancing, the man punches in front and the woman holds a fan or towel, which is similar to dancing with lights.
In addition, in Jinping County, Honghe Prefecture, there are "rowing dance", "flower picking dance", "fishing dance" and "walking dance" which express working life. Fan dance, which is popular in Jinping County, is said to be a ritual dance when playing ghost. The Dai language of "Elephant Dance" circulating in Mengding area of Gengma County is called "Zhang Jia". Two people tied props into the shape of an elephant, imitating elephant walking, saluting and other actions, and one person danced with a red handkerchief. The popular "women's dance" in Xishuangbanna is light and soft. The popular "Gallo Circle" in Ruili County is a dance that imitates birds, just like peacock dance Jr.