Long Drum Dance is a traditional dance of Yao minority in China.
Yao's Long Drum Dance is a folk dance of the Yao people in China, which is popular in areas inhabited by Yao people in Guangdong, Guangxi, Hunan and other provinces. It is often performed on traditional festivals of Yao people and on days celebrating harvest, housewarming or weddings. Yao nationality's Long Drum Dance has a long history. It was born out of the ritual table of Wang Yi, which originated very early, and some dances in witchcraft activities. Now it has developed into a mass recreational activity.
The Paiyao compatriots who live in the mountainous area of northern Guangdong like to dance long drums on holidays. When dancing, dancers wear festive costumes, tie red silk around their waist, wrap white leggings on their feet, and hang flower drums more than 1 meter long. Sometimes they fly sharply, and sometimes they jump to the ground like tigers. Especially when performing in pairs, they are like two tigers fighting against each other and playing with pearls like dragons. It is really interesting. The whole set of movements is vigorous, rough and free, which vividly shows the hardworking and brave spirit and strong character of the Yao people.
Performance of Long Drum Dance
1. Performance Props
The main prop of Long Drum Dance is recorded in relevant ancient books of Song and Qing Dynasties. In the Song Dynasty, it was called the spear drum, also known as the long waist drum. In the Qing Dynasty, it was called the long drum, and it still basically retains the shape characteristics of the ancient long drum.
2. Number formation
There is no limit to the number of people during the Long Drum Dance performance, and more than two people can be in even numbers. Two people are a combination, three or four steps apart, and their left shoulders are opposite. Each dance can be composed of several groups. Under the direction of the leading drums, each pair of groups sometimes crosses and goes straight, sometimes dances in large circles or small circles, and the formation is horizontal or oblique, and the time and time are combined. Small squares and large squares are common, and there are queue performances during village tours, and the scene graphics are varied and colorful.
3. Dancer's movements
The movements of the dancer's hands are that the hands are stretched out, the elbows are slightly bent, and the palms are downward, mainly slapping the two drums. Dance movements focus on the waist and legs, with the upper body slightly leaning forward and knees slightly flexed as the basic form, and the knees are rhythmically stretched and flexed to drive the body to vibrate up and down as the basic dynamic. This basic form and dynamic are integrated into all kinds of performances of Changgu.