Taixing Flower Drum
01 · Historical Records
Taixing flower drum is a traditional dance originating in Qinjialou, Nansha Township, Guangling District, Taixing City, Taizhou City, Jiangsu Province, and active in the surrounding counties and cities; because it can use its prop red lanterns for lighting, it is also called “night fire lamp”. Taixing flower drum is a folk dance that arose together with production and folk custom. It has long been active in festival performances and at celebratory and funeral occasions, has witnessed nearly 200 years of historical change in Taixing, and plays a positive role in promoting spiritual civilisation in Taixing and in the central Jiangsu region, enriching the cultural life of the people, raising their qualities and building a harmonious society.
02 · Core Techniques & Process
Judging from the record in Mingzhai Zhenshi · Guangling Yunshi, Taixing flower drum already has a history of three or four hundred years. When Taixing flower drum first arose, folk artists usually grouped themselves as one household, several households or people of the same village, making a living by “beating the flower drum”. They performed from door to door in ordinary times, or gave square performances in the street, at the village head, at temple fairs and in markets; when a wealthy household held a celebratory hall gathering, they performed indoors. Taixing flower drum is ardent and lively, with a strong celebratory colouring; it can be danced on its own, and it can also be sung while it is danced. Whether in its dancing, its tunes or its sung lyrics, it has a complete and polished structure, a distinctive style, a self-contained form and pronounced local character. Taixing flower drum is usually performed by six people, commonly called “six-person flower drum”. It may also be performed by two, four, eight, twelve or even more than a hundred people, basically with equal numbers of men and women, and of these forms the “six-person flower drum” is presented most often. Taixing flower drum has stepping movements of large amplitude, nimble and witty. Its movement characteristics are shaking the head and extending the neck, twisting the waist and swinging the hips, bending the knees and trembling the feet, and flexible wrists and agile hands. Its basic steps include the “three bouncing steps”, the “magpie perching on the plum blossom step”, the “jade rabbit worshiping the moon step”, the “four-direction step” and the “trotting step”, of which the “three bouncing steps” and the “magpie perching on the plum blossom step” are extremely distinctive. Taixing flower drum has three main tunes: the flower drum tune, “kuajinsuo” and “daohualan”. They carry a strong flavour of northern Jiangsu folk ditty, and the atmosphere is ardent and lively. The lyrics of Taixing flower drum are plain and easy to understand. Artists generally improvise and sing blessings, praise and humorous, playful ditties during the performance, to delight the audience. The main props are red lanterns, lianxiang, bamboo slabs and tangluo gongs; the accompanying instruments include the erhu and the bamboo flute.
The bobbing three-step and the magpie step
Among the basic steps the bobbing three-step and the magpie step are unique to the form, marked by nodding heads and quivering knees.
Three tunes of the flower drum
Three tunes carry the form, in the flavour of northern Jiangsu folk song, over improvised and plainly spoken verses of blessing and jest.
Lantern, lianxiang, bamboo clappers and gong
The performers carry lanterns, lianxiang sticks, bamboo clappers and a small gong, accompanied by erhu and bamboo flute.
The six-dancer flower drum
Six dancers, commonly called the six-man flower drum, form the standard group, though two to a hundred may take part, always half men and half women.
Night fire lantern, the old name
Named night fire lantern for its lantern light, the dance was once a livelihood performed door to door or at fairs and wedding halls.
The written record and seven generations
The Mingzhai record suggests three or four centuries of history, maturing some 150 years ago with a documented line of seven generations.
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
Taixing flower drum originates in Qinjialou, Nansha Township, Guangling District, Taixing City, Taizhou City, Jiangsu Province, and has long been active at festival performances and at celebratory and funeral occasions in the townships of Taixing and in the neighbouring counties and cities. In the 1960s and 1970s, promoted by the Taixing City Cultural Centre, every township of the city had a performance troupe and its influence spread throughout Jiangsu Province; at present twelve folk art troupes, including the Taixing City Longhe Art Troupe, still carry on performing it.
04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
Through the interpretation and transmission of several generations of artists, it matured more than 150 years ago. Taixing flower drum has a clear line of transmission, with seven recorded generations of inheritors. Through the transmission and promotion of the Taixing City Cultural Centre, in the 1960s and 1970s every township of the city had a performance troupe and its influence spread throughout Jiangsu Province, cultivating a large number of flower drum inheritors and troupes active in the various townships and on the performance stages of Taixing; there are now twelve folk art troupes, including the Taixing City Longhe Art Troupe. At present the item is in good condition, transmission work has not been relaxed, a certain scale advantage has been formed, and it is welcomed and actively supported by the people.
06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography
Sources
China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)
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