Dragon Dance (Changxing blind dragon)

Name of China's national intangible cultural heritage: Dragon Dance

Applicant: Changxing County, Zhejiang Province

Item No.: 107

Project No.: Ⅲ - 4

Time of publication: 2006 (the first batch)

Category: traditional dance

Region: Zhejiang Province

Type: new item

Applicant: Changxing County, Zhejiang Province

Protection unit: Changxing Cultural Center

Introduction to Dragon Dance (Changxing shutter dragon)

Applicant: Changxing County, Zhejiang Province

Dragon dance, also known as "Dragon Dance", is also called "Dragon Dance", "dragon lantern dance" or "dragon lantern dance" among the people. It is widely distributed in all parts of the country and among all ethnic groups. Its variety of forms is incomparable to any other folk dance. As early as the Shang Dynasty, oracle bone inscriptions have been used to offer sacrifices to the dragon and pray for rain by several people; the records of Dong Zhongshu's Chunqiu Fanlu in the Han Dynasty have clearly recorded all kinds of dragon dances to pray for rain; since then, it has been common to record the palace or folk dragon dances in the poems of all dynasties. Until now, dragon dance is still one of the popular dance forms in folk festivals. The basic performance means of dragon dance are its props modeling, composition changes and action routines. According to the different materials of dragon shaped props, they are divided into cloth dragon, yarn dragon, paper dragon, grass dragon, Qian dragon, bamboo dragon, brown dragon, bench dragon, shutter dragon, lotus dragon, fire dragon, chicken feather dragon, meat dragon and so on; the northern dragon dance is generally tall and thick, with simple and vigorous style; the southern dragon dance is exquisite and delicate, lively and agile. Dragon dance can be divided into yellow, white, green, red, black and so on in color, and Huanglong is the most noble. The composition and action of dragon dance generally have the characteristics of "round song", "tumbling", "entanglement", "interpenetration" and "jumping". The traditional performance procedures of dragon dance are generally: "invite the dragon", "give the dragon", "dance the dragon" and "send the dragon". There is a folk saying that "seven or eight years old play grass dragon, fifteen or sixteen play little dragon, young adults dance big dragon". When the number of dragon dancers is small, one person will dance two dragons, and when the number of dragon dancers is large, one hundred people will dance one dragon.

Dragon is the totem and ancestor of the Chinese nation; dragon dance is the symbol of the Chinese spirit, which embodies the spirit of unity and development of the Chinese nation, and contains the cultural connotation of harmony between man and nature and the benefit of mankind. It is the most common way of entertainment for the Chinese people in auspicious and blessing seasons. The atmosphere is warm and inspiring. It is a very precious cultural heritage of the Chinese nation.

Changxing Venetian dragon originated and spread in Lincheng Town, Changxing County, Zhejiang Province, with a history of more than 160 years.

Traditional Venetian dragons perform in temple fairs and festivals, starting with the formation of "Yousi men" and "Yuanchang". When the lotus lamps gather into a circle and connect with each other to form the "dragon" shape, the outer circle dance team dances enthusiastically to block the audience's sight. Once the "dragon" takes shape, it leaps into the air, and the dance teams immediately disperse to highlight the Venetian dragons and form a climax.

The performance of Venetian dragon is divided into stage dance, street dance, square dance and other forms, and is becoming more and more complex to adapt to different performance occasions. Its main formation includes long snake formation, Jielong formation, stepping on four doors, scissors formation, walking four corners, etc. its main movements include swimming dragon, rolling dragon, dragon pan column, Tenglong formation, Wolong formation, sleeping dragon formation, dragon coming out of water, dragon spitting whiskers, etc.

When performing the Venetian dragon dance, the most remarkable feature is that the lotus suddenly changes into a dragon, which transforms the traditional Chinese dragon dance into a dragon dance. Through the actions and plots of rippling lake water, swinging lotus leaves, blooming lotus flowers, flying butterflies, changing lotus into dragon, playing Dragon, and changing Dragon into lotus, a perfect dance process is completed and the beautiful artistic conception of Jiangnan Water Town is displayed.

In 1957, Venetian dragon won the second national folk music and dance performance special prize. Premier Zhou Enlai recommended it to participate in Moscow's "the sixth World Youth and college students' Festival" and won the gold medal. In 2000, it also won the gold medal of "Stars Award" dance competition.

As a unique folk dance of Chinese Han nationality, Changxing shutter dragon has high artistic value. The changes of the times have affected the orderly inheritance of Changxing Venetian dragon, which makes this valuable folk art form face the survival crisis. In order to protect and inherit the Venetian dragon art, Changxing local government has taken a series of effective measures, and a good atmosphere of protecting local cultural resources and jointly creating characteristic cultural brands is forming.