Yangge Dance
01 · Historical Records
The origin of Laoting di yangge cannot be traced to any definite documentary record. Judging from artists' recollections and local gazetteer materials, its embryonic form must have taken shape in the middle of the Qing dynasty, arising together with the deity-procession meetings and temple-fair flower-society activities of eastern Hebei; before the Guangxu reign it consisted mainly of the large-field yangge performed at a run, and in the Xuantong reign the arena yangge gradually increased, with role types, routines and accompaniment tending at the same time toward completeness.
02 · Core Techniques & Process
Laoting "di yangge" is a folk traditional dance with a wide reach, a long history, rich content and a lively form, transmitted throughout Laoting County. Before the Guangxu reign of the Qing dynasty it consisted mainly of the large-field yangge performed at a run; by the Xuantong reign the arena yangge had gradually increased. Large-field yangge in turn takes two forms, "chuanjie" (street procession) and "dachang" (arena performance). Chuanjie yangge is performed along the streets and through the lanes; its movements are brisk, it emphasizes the overall effect, and the atmosphere is ardent and lively. Its accompanying tune patterns generally use a calm mid-tempo, and the common formations include "One Line Dragon", "Two Dragons Emerging from the Water", "Two Steps up the Tower" and "Braided Flower Stockade". Arena yangge is performed on a square, and is further divided into "large arena" and "small arena". The movements of the "large arena" are basically the same as in the street procession; the "small arena", also called "small outing", mainly presents programmes with story plots, such as "The Big-Headed Monk Teases Liu Cui", "Mending the Big Water Vat" and "Silly Zhu'zi Takes a Wife". The role types in a yangge troupe can roughly be divided into wen chou (civil clown), wu chou (martial clown), wen gongzi (civil young lord), wu gongzi (martial young lord), niu (girls and young wives), wen (old women), wu (old men) and children. The movements of Laoting di yangge are rich and varied, and in the dance the fan and the handkerchief are used above all as props. Over the years the yangge artists have created a very rich and inexhaustible repertoire of fan and handkerchief movements, together with steps and postures of striking individuality such as the "flirtatious step", "springing step", "waist twist", "shoulder circling", "head toss" and "bobbing nod". The close coordination of dance and music is a prominent feature of Laoting yangge. The usual accompanying instruments are generally the suona, the large drum, the nao and the bo, that is, gongs and cymbals. In the old society "di yangge" was denounced by the powers above as a "low and vulgar skill"; it was repeatedly banned by strict edict, which seriously obstructed the development of the art of yangge. After liberation this traditional dance, so warmly welcomed by the common people, was able to revive and develop.
Chuan Jie Yangge
One of the two large-field forms, performed along the streets in a brisk, rousing manner with gentle mid-tempo accompaniment and formations such as Single Dragon and Twin Dragons Emerging.
Da Chang Yangge (field Yangge)
The square-ground form in two parts: the large field resembling the street version in movement, and the small field or playlet performing items with plots.
The Big-headed Monk Teases Liu Cui
A representative playlet of Laoting Yangge, performed by the clown, young-woman and boy role types with broad comedy.
Mending the Big Vat
A representative Laoting Yangge playlet built on a travelling mender's house calls and the banter with his customers.
Sha Zhuzi Jie Xifu
A representative Laoting Yangge playlet sharing a title with the Changli version but diverging in characterisation and comic business.
Distinctive steps and postures
The personal steps and postures created by Laoting Yangge artists working with fan and handkerchief props, closely matched to suona, drum and cymbals.
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
Laoting di yangge is further divided into "large-field yangge" and "arena yangge".
Other submitting regions for the same item: Yangge Dance · Yangge Dance · Yangge Dance · Yangge Dance · Yangge Dance · Yangge Dance · Yangge Dance · Yangge Dance · Yangge Dance · Yangge Dance · Yangge Dance · Yangge Dance · Yangge Dance · Yangge Dance · Yangge Dance · Yangge Dance.
04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
Laoting di yangge is, of the three great schools of eastern Hebei di yangge, the one that still has the most complete set of role types and the richest fan and handkerchief movements; together with the yangge of Changli and Luanzhou it forms the artistic genealogy of Hebei di yangge. In recent years the locality has relied on a cultural heritage transmission centre and a school-based training base to popularize the form, but senior artists who can fully master the traditional fan patterns and the techniques of the "flirtatious step" and the "springing step" are now few in number.
05 · Associated Representative Bearers
Representative bearers recorded under this item, organized by national nomination batch:
- Zhou Hehua 02-0332
- Yu Zhenjiang 02-0333
- Yang Kesheng 02-0334
- Wu Yingmin 02-0335
- Wang Fa 02-0336
- Juhongjun 02-0337
- Li Zengheng 02-0338
- He Junyi 03-0899
- Yao Daxin 03-0900
- Zhao Fengling 04-1541
- Qin Mengyu 04-1542
- Ding Shisuo 05-2182
- Sheng Yubin 05-2183
- Yu Xin 05-2184
- Wei Jianming 05-2185
- Liu Jianping
- Xiujianguo
- Lizhangxi
- Ba Hengjin
- Zhao Chenghai
- Wang Yuanqing
- Song Jianliang
- Yuan Guilin
06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography
Sources
China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)
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