Zhaxi

01 · Lineage & Regional School

Zhaxi, Male, Tibetan, from Saga, Tibet, is a fourth-batch national representative bearer of Dangajiaxie (Ⅲ-88). The tradition is documented in Saga, Tibet. Within the regional tradition and school record of Dangajiaxie in Saga, Tibet: Danga Jiaxie is popular in Danga Township, Saga County, Tibet, and is fairly well known in the Ü-Tsang region; every man, woman and child of the township can perform it. At festivals the circle is the basic formation, with men and women each taking half of it, the drummer sitting cross-legged at the centre and the company singing as it moves clockwise. The principal props are the long waist-knife, the horsewhip, and a small knife and chopsticks carried in a small knife sheath; the costumes are made of silk and satin and are chiefly red and yellow, and performers wear large round hats hung with tassels. Performances may be short or long, and a long one can go on dancing for a whole day. There are three accounts of the origin of Danga Jiaxie: one says it was devised to celebrate a victory in war, one says it was choreographed to mark a victory in a singing-and-dancing contest, and one says it was created to celebrate the arrival of Princess Wencheng in Tibet.

02 · Mastery & Signature Works

Male, Tibetan, born in January 1952 in Saga County, Tibet Autonomous Region. He has mastered one hundred and eight sections of dance movement; his performance is vigorous and uninhibited, fully conveying the bold and courageous character of the Tibetan people. In 1989 he went to the Shigatse cultural work troupe to teach Jaxie dance, and he also regularly organizes and leads the local community in performances. Within the documented technical tradition of Dangajiaxie in Saga, Tibet: Danga Jiaxie is a folk song-and-dance popular in Danga Township, Saga County, Tibet Autonomous Region. Its principal content is traditional folk song; its melodies are full-bodied and unadorned, its style is distinctive, it is saturated with the flavour of everyday life, and it is strongly geared toward self-entertainment. Once Danga Township's jiaxie became known, it did so throughout Ü-Tsang. Jiaxie has been handed down through generations here, and every man, woman and child of the township can perform it. Danga Jiaxie activities are generally held during the Tibetan New Year and the major festivals of each year. In performance, men and women form separate ranks, singing as they dance and answering one another in call and response; the steps are heavy and steady, the movements bold and unrestrained, revealing the hardy and courageous character of the Tibetan people. The props are the long waist-knife, the horsewhip, and a small knife and a pair of chopsticks carried inside a small knife sheath. A performance may be short or long; a long one can go on dancing continuously for a whole day. In the traditional manner of performance the dancers form a circle, with men and women each occupying half of it. The drummer sits cross-legged in the centre, singing as he dances and moving in a clockwise direction; in some performances men and women take turns, and the performance is majestic and stirring, graceful and free. The repertoire of the performance includes “Carp Leaping”, “Eagle Spreading Its Wings”, “Knife Skills” and the like. Performance costumes are all made of silk and satin, chiefly red and yellow, and they give off a noble and elegant bearing. Performers wear large round hats hung with tassels, and shake their heads constantly as they dance, like lions, majestic and stirring. Danga Jiaxie is a collective dance peculiar to Saga County of the Tibet Autonomous Region; it embodies the life and the thinking of the ethnic group, and it is an artistic form of expression with definite aesthetic qualities. Its bodily manner, style and aesthetics have all contributed to the exploration of ancient Tibetan culture. Representative repertoire, works and technical entries recorded for the project include: "Long sword, whip and chopsticks": Its properties are a long waist sword, a horsewhip, and a small knife with chopsticks in a scabbard, the silk costumes running chiefly to red and yellow. "Leaping fish, soaring eagle and sword play": Its episodes include the leaping fish, the soaring eagle and sword play, rough and bold in movement and showing a fierce, brave temperament. "One hundred and eight movement sequences": The inheritor Tashi commands one hundred and eight movement sequences, taught the form at the Shigatse troupe in 1989 and often leads local performances. "Three accounts of origin": Three accounts circulate locally: a celebration of victory in war, a piece devised to win a song-and-dance contest, and a welcome for Princess Wencheng.

03 · Transmission & Safeguarding Status

National representative bearer of Danga Jaxie, a fourth-batch national intangible cultural heritage project. He began learning Jaxie dance in 1969 and subsequently became a bearer and transmitter of Jaxie dance in his locality. He has taken an active part in various performance activities and has won numerous awards.

04 · Associated Heritage Item Dossier

05 · Fellow National Bearers Lineage

National representative bearers recorded under the same item code, ordered from the first to the sixth batch. Batch order is not a teacher–student relationship.

06 · Archival Sources & Bibliography

1. Zhaxi · National Representative Bearer Archive