Drum Dance
01 · Historical Records
According to the mid-Ming Yi-language ancient book "Du Mulong Xize Doudou", the Yi flower drum dance originates in the historical memory of the common ancestor of the Yi people, Apu Dumu, enduring raging floods, presiding over the branching of the six ancestors, opening up new territory, and migrating in all directions. The movements are weighted downwards, and require uninterrupted jumping.
02 · Core Techniques & Process
The Yi flower drum dance, called "zhebo bi" in the Yi language, is a traditional dance integrating song, dance and music. It is transmitted mainly in the townships of Tadian, Fuliangpeng, Chahe, Dianzhong, Dalongtan and others in Eshan Yi Autonomous County of Yuxi City, Yunnan Province, and radiates to neighbouring counties and districts. With the cultural intermingling of the locality, the songs of the Yi flower drum dance absorbed elements of the Han flower-lantern tune, and the performance forms became richer. The dance was performed in the past mainly at funerary and sacrificial activities. When an elderly person dies, the family must invite a "bimo" to preside over the funeral, and also invite the flower-drum troupe to perform the Yi flower drum dance, meaning to see the spirit off back to the ancestors, to "entertain and work through the mourning", and to relieve the sorrow of the bereaved relatives. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, the Yi flower drum dance gradually changed from a sacrificial form into one for self-amusement and performance: in the past it was mostly performed by young and middle-aged men, whereas now large numbers of women have joined in. At festival times such as the Spring Festival, the Torch Festival and the New Street fair, close to ten thousand people dance the flower drum dance in the square to build their bodies and cultivate their minds. In performance a team consists of at least 8 people: one performer called the "dragon head" directs with a prop consisting of a wooden dragon head and a "jingjiwei" pheasant tail; the other four carry the flower drum on the right shoulder, fasten a small round mirror on the chest, and swing a white towel in the left hand, meaning to drive away evil spirits, while the right hand holds a beater to strike the drum, dancing as they beat to the accompaniment of percussion. The lead dancer circles the jingjiwei dragon head once above the head, which signals the drum dancers to change to another dance routine. The percussion section consists of 4 people, one each on the big cymbal, the small cymbal and the small chao. The Yi flower drum dance has 35 routines, including paying respects to the four directions, the ghost hop, the snail turn, the snake shedding its skin, the buckwheat-cutting dance and the flower-piercing street tune. Its content and forms are rich, its formations varied, and it is divided into the quick drum and the board drum. The quick drum is fast in movement, warm and unrestrained, vigorous and powerful; the board drum is solemn and steady, gentle and relaxed, showing artistic features of being light and agile while remaining vigorous and stirring. Drawing on Yi-language ancient books such as "Floods Reach the Sky", "Guide to the Way" and "Dumu Steps on the Sharp-bladed Grass", and by recreating ethnic myths and historical memory, the Yi flower drum dance vividly expresses the spiritual pursuit and life aspirations of the people of Eshan Yi; it is an important component of Yi culture and a vivid witness to the intermingling of ethnic cultures and to ethnic solidarity, and it plays a positive role in strengthening cultural confidence, promoting cultural identification and social harmony.
The dragon head and pheasant tail
At least eight dance, led by a dragon head holding a wooden dragon head and pheasant tail; one circle overhead cues the change of routine.
Drum, mirror and towel
The other four carry a flower drum on the right shoulder with a small mirror at the chest, flicking a white towel in the left hand to drive off evil.
Quick and measured drums
The dance divides into a quick mode, fervent and forceful, and a measured mode, grave and gentle, alternating to give it its character.
Thirty-five routines
Thirty-five routines run from saluting the four quarters to the snail's turn and the snake's sloughing, with steps of stamping, kicking, crouching and spinning.
The bimo and the sending of spirits
Formerly danced at funerals, when the household called in the bimo and a drum team to send the spirit to the ancestors and ease the family's grief.
The Yi manuscript
A mid-Ming Yi manuscript links the dance to the ancestor Apu Dumu, the great flood and the parting of the six ancestors.
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
The Yi flower drum dance is transmitted mainly in the townships of Tadian, Fuliangpeng, Chahe, Dianzhong, Dalongtan and others in Eshan Yi Autonomous County, and radiates to neighbouring counties and districts. The flower-drum troupe in each village passes itself on through masters taking apprentices, and the line-up that takes the field differs between festive and funerary occasions: funerary rites are presided over by the bimo, while at festivals the dance is performed collectively in the square. At present the county has more than 500 flower-drum troupes as well as a number of transmission points and school-based training points.
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04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
The movements of the flower drum dance are expressed mainly in the feet, with complex technical movements such as stamping, trampling, pushing, kicking, striking hard, halting in a sudden stop, squatting, circling, bouncing and twisting the knee, as well as drawing the leg in and spinning on the spot, drawing the leg in and circling the foot, and vertical steps on both feet. The Yi flower drum dance is an important folk dance widely transmitted in Eshan, passed down generation by generation chiefly through masters taking apprentices. With the extensive development of intangible cultural heritage protection work, the body of transmitters has kept growing. At present the county as a whole has more than 500 flower-drum troupes, 2 Yi flower drum dance associations, 14 flower drum dance transmission points and 19 school-based training points, and close to ten thousand enthusiasts.
05 · Associated Representative Bearers
Representative bearers recorded under this item, organized by national nomination batch:
- Mairemuhan Adili 02-0402
- Li Chengyuan 03-0925
- Yang Menyuan 03-0926
- Daisanhai 03-0927
- Gao Ruchang 04-1570
- Wang Qiren 04-1571
- Qi Xuede 05-2243
- Zhang Hongnian 05-2244
- Chen Defu 05-2245
- Zhang Lanqing 05-2246
- Zhang Jifu 05-2247
- Su Anfu
- Wang Chengde
- Liu Xueguang
06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography
Sources
China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)
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