Helou dance

Chinese national intangible cultural heritage Name: Helou dance

Applicant: Yunan County, Guangdong Province

Project No.: 650

Project No.: Ⅲ - 53

Time of publication: 2008 (second batch)

Category: traditional dance

Region: Guangdong Province

Type: new item

Applicant: Yunan County, Guangdong Province

Protection unit: Yunan Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection Center

Introduction to Helou dance

Applicant: Yunan County, Guangdong Province

Helou dance is popular in Liantan Town, Yunan County, Guangdong Province, with a history of more than 2000 years. According to textual research, it was originally a dance for the Yue people in the Nanjiang River Valley in the Qin and Han Dynasties to celebrate the harvest and offer sacrifices to gods. Later, it spread from the Nanjiang river across the mountain boundary to Gaozhou, Huazhou, Taishan, Yangjiang, Yunan and other places.

The action of Helou dance is primitive and rough, the melody of Helou song is fixed and the melody is melodious. The lead dancer is wearing a lotus crown and a red yellow shawl. He holds a bull's head stick in his left hand and shakes a copper bell with a ribbon in his right hand. The other performers wore masks, bamboo hats, black dresses, scarves, hemp shoes and tassels, and danced in the southeast, northwest and north directions.

Helou dance is the product of ancient farming culture. It shows the unique local cultural characteristics of ancient Baiyue region (Nanjiang river basin). It is called the "living fossil" of ancient rice culture. It has important value in the study of ancient Baiyue production and life, religious belief, daily folk custom and Lingnan folk dance history. After excavation and recovery, Helou dance has appeared on the stage many times and won many good results. At present, this ancient folk dance is facing a serious survival crisis, which needs to be protected and inherited.