Drum dance (Wushan drum dance)

Name of China's national intangible cultural heritage: Drum Dance (Wushan drum dance)

Applicant: Wushan County, Gansu Province

Item No.: 639

Project No.: Ⅲ - 42

Time of publication: 2008 (second batch)

Category: traditional dance

Region: Gansu Province

Type: new item

Applicant: Wushan County, Gansu Province

Protection unit: Wushan Cultural Center

Introduction to Wushan Drum Dance:

Applicant: Wushan County, Gansu Province

Chinese drum drum drum drum drum drum drum drum drum drum drum drum drum drum drum drum drum drum drum drum drum drum drum drum drum drum drum drum drum drum drum drum drum drum drum drum drum drum drum drum drum drum drum drum drum drum drum drum drum drum drum drum drum drum drum drum drum drum drum drum drum drum drum drum drum drum drum drum drum drum drum drum drum drum drum drum drum drum drum. In the book of changes, there is a saying that "the dance of drum is to do its best", which not only vividly reflects the long history of Chinese encouragement, but also outlines its main functions. From the original "beating the stone, supporting the stone and leading a hundred animals to dance" to the later generations, the Chinese drum dance has always been in the same continuous line. There are various forms of Chinese drum dance, which are widely distributed. There are many kinds of dances. Among them, the more typical forms are waist drum dance, broken drum dance, flower drum dance, wood drum dance, long drum dance, flat drum dance, copper drum dance, dragon drum dance, fan drum dance, yellow mud drum dance, elephant foot dance, monkey drum dance, flower whip dance, bamboo drum dance, Bell Dance, sheep skin dance and so on.

Wushan spiral drum dance, also known as "fan drum dance" or "sheep skin drum dance", is a traditional folk dance formed by Qiang people in their long-term farming and animal husbandry life. It is mainly spread in Tange Town, Baiquan village, Longtai Township, Shandan Township, Wushan County, Tianshui City, Gansu Province. It takes the dance music as the carrier to achieve the purpose of entertaining gods and people in sacrifice. Wushan spiral drum dance has a long history, its origin in the history of shepherd shock wolf theory, sacrifice theory, military theory and so on. In the long-term development process, Wushan rotary drum dance has gradually evolved into a kind of folk sacrificial tournament entertainment activities, which can be divided into two types: Northern Mountain rotary drum dance and southern mountain rotary drum dance.

Wushan drum dance performance was held in late spring and early summer. At that time, young children beat drums in villages to arouse the interest of the masses, and the Dragon Boat Festival was the climax of drum dance. The team consists of dozens to hundreds of people, among which the drummer is skilled and demanding, and is usually filled by young men. The performance of whirl drum dance includes typical movements such as "shouting the mountain", "pressing the top with a thousand catties", "whirlwind rising suddenly" and traditional routines such as "two dragons playing with pearls", "white horse sharing the mane", "prince you four gates", "Danfeng Chaoyang", etc. The whole dance is vigorous in movement and sonorous in rhythm, with extensive mass and strong local characteristics.

Wushan drum dance performance mainly uses sheepskin drum, which belongs to one-sided percussion instrument, its shape is like a fan, not a fan, close to banana leaf. Other items are used in the performance, including drumsticks, cymbals, gongs, bells, flags, colored flags and some unique costumes.

Wushan whirlwind drum dance has unique Longyuan customs and distinctive local characteristics. The biggest characteristics are "whirlwind" and "drum". It is a unique cultural and entertainment activity in Wushan County. After constant creation and improvement by literary and artistic workers, it gradually has a repertoire suitable for stage performance, and has won many awards in the country, province and city. The scene is grand and inspiring, which shows the romantic style and cultural spirit of Wushan, and further reflects the artistic connotation of Wushan drum.

With the changes of the times, Wushan whirlwind dance, an ancient folk dance, has been constantly impacted by foreign culture and gradually declined. At present, the number of drum performers is decreasing, and the number of drum makers is also decreasing. Drum making skills are in danger of being lost. Drum making skills are also in an endangered state, which is in urgent need of rescue and protection.