Yangge Dance

Ⅲ-2Traditional DanceShanghe, ShandongBatch 1 (2006)Newly Added Item

01 · Historical Records

Yangge has a long history. Among the folk dance troupes described by Zhou Mi of the Southern Song in his Wulin Jiushi (Old Events of the Wulin) there is already a record of cuntian le ("village field music"); the Xinnian Zayong Chao (Selected New Year Verses) by Wu Xilin of the Qing dynasty states explicitly the lineage between the yangge that survives today and the Song-dynasty cuntian le. Guzi yangge originated in the Northern Song, matured in the Ming and flourished in the Qing. Later, whenever the New Year festival came round, people would dance yangge to show their gratitude to Bao Gong; it has been transmitted down to the present and has become an established custom. In 1996, Shanghe County was awarded the title "Hometown of Chinese Folk Art" by the Ministry of Culture.

02 · Core Techniques & Process

Yangge is a collective term for a highly popular and representative genre of Chinese folk dance (chiefly in the north); different regions have their own names, styles and forms. In folk usage the term divides into two: the version performed on stilts is called "gaqiao yangge" (stilt yangge), and the version performed without stilts is called "di yangge" (ground yangge). The term "yangge" as used in modern times usually refers to "di yangge". In most places today yangge takes the form of a yangge troupe; a troupe numbers at least a dozen or so people and at times as many as a hundred. There are group dances as well as two-person and three-person dances and many other performance formats; according to the needs of the role the performers hold the appropriate props — handkerchief, umbrella, sticks, drum, coin-whip and the like — and dance freely to the accompaniment of gongs, drums, suona and other wind and percussion instruments. The dancing methods, movements and styles of yangge differ from place to place: some are imposing and heroic, others gentle and charming — a dazzling variety that never fails to delight. Yangge is one of the most representative folk dance genres in northern China. It is at once performative and self-amusing, entertaining the performers as much as the audience, and is deeply loved by ordinary people. Every region has produced some representative folk yangge artists, and many folk artists have played an important part in building the dance undertaking of the People's Republic of China. In Shanghe, among the common people of Guzi yangge, from the old down to the young all of them learn to dance it and love to do so. In the county's 21 townships, more than eight hundred villages can all organize yangge troupes. The yangge troupe has five role types — "santou" (umbrella head), "guzi" (drum), "bangchui" (clappers), "lahua" and the clown role — whose performance styles are markedly different and each with its own flavour. The Guzi yangge that survives today is divided mainly into "xingcheng" (the march) and "paochang" (running the field); "xingcheng" is the dancing of the troupe as it moves off or before entering the ground, while "paochang" is the main body of the performance, further divided into the "wenchang" (civil field) and the "wuchang" (martial field) performed by different roles. The field formations run in Guzi yangge performance are extremely rich, including more than a hundred such as "Niubiqian" (Pinching the Ox Nose), "Gouxinmei" (Hooking the Heart, Flowering the Plum), "Yijie Ermen" (One Street, Two Gates), "Liuliu Dashun" (Six Six Great Smoothness), "Lisi Wuba" (Four Within, Eight Without), "Batie Jie" (Eight Streets) and "Simendou" (Four-Gate Battle). The movements of the "santou" are rounded, those of the "guzi" rough and uninhibited, those of the "bangchui" light and nimble, those of the "lahua" bold and generous, while such movements as trembling, tracing circles, crouching and pouncing, leaping and darting are shared by all the roles. Guzi yangge has many dancers, tight organization, a complete form, vigorous and beautiful dance technique, a magnificent scale, deep historical and cultural content, and a strong flavour of the times and vivid local character. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, Guzi yangge took part many times in national folk art competitions and won major prizes repeatedly.

Xing Cheng and Pao Chang

The two parts of the surviving Gushzi Yangge: the processional dance before entering the ground, and the main field-running performance divided into civil and martial sections.

Umbrella head, drum, staff, wax flower and clown

The five role types of Shanghe Gushzi Yangge, each with a distinct style, sharing in common the bobbing, circling, crouching and leaping movements.

More than a hundred field formations

The field formations of Gushzi Yangge, more than a hundred in all, including Ox-Nose Pincers, Heart-Seeking Plum and Four-Gate Bucket.

Kang San and Cha San

The umbrella-head techniques of the inheritor Yang Kesheng, broad and imposing in carrying and dashing and steady in thrusting, matched by his powerful drum work.

03 · Regional Records & Related Items

Guzi yangge is distributed in the Shanghe area of the northern Shandong plain today, and is one of the three great yangge of Shandong. According to the famous old local artists, in the years of the Northern Song the Shanghe area was struck by successive disasters, and Bao Gong came from Henan to distribute grain there to relieve the famine victims, and his subordinates taught Guzi yangge to the local people.

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04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding

Today, with the rapid development of the rural economy and the consequent change in the cultural environment, folk artists who still master traditional yangge skills and authentic dance style have become as rare as morning stars; protection and transmission are urgent. The inheritance and development of Guzi yangge has enriched the cultural life of the masses, transmitted the outstanding culture of the Chinese nation, and has high aesthetic and research value. Yang Kesheng (official file record of the associated inheritor): male, Han nationality, born in 1946, native of Shanghe, Shandong. His performance is emotionally full and passionate, his dance technique is superb; the "kang san" (shouldering the umbrella) movement is expansive and grand, and the "cha san" (inserting the umbrella) movement is free-flowing and steady. His "guzi" (drum work) is also excellent: whether performing the "lu guzi" (road drum) or the "tao guzi" (digging out the drum) movement, he does both with a wide amplitude and with vigour. Representative inheritor of Yangge (Guzi yangge), the second batch of national-level intangible cultural heritage projects. He frequently teaches Guzi yangge skills to young people and has trained many members of Guzi yangge troupes.

05 · Associated Representative Bearers

Representative bearers recorded under this item, organized by national nomination batch:

06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography

Sources

China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)

Read the official ihchina.cn record ↗

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