Bell Dance of Yi Nationality

Name of China's national intangible cultural heritage: Yi People's Bell Dance

Applicant: Hezhang County, Guizhou Province

Project No.: 666

Project No.: Ⅲ - 69

Time of publication: 2008 (second batch)

Category: traditional dance

Region:

Type: new item

Applicant: Hezhang County, Guizhou Province

Protection unit: Hezhang Cultural Center

Brief introduction of Yi People's Bell Dance

Applicant: Hezhang County, Guizhou Province

The Yi People's bell dance, which is called "genhebai" in Yi language, is a traditional folk dance of the Yi People's sacrifice to the dead. It is mainly spread in Zhushi township of Hezhang County in Northwest Guizhou Province. It is also distributed in Caishen Township, Zhijie Township, Hezhen Township, Shuangping Township and Anle township. Its history can be traced back to the eighth century B.C. At that time, all the people of the various vassal clans and tribes formed a team of war horses. When the king and the leader held a sacrifice to mourn the former king, their subordinates had to organize a team of 120 soldiers and horses and dozens of singing and dancing teams to show their chivalry in the sacrificial singing and dancing arena. When dancing, you need to ring the bell in your hand to control the rhythm.

The performance form of Bell Dance is vigorous, solemn, bold and rough. The two groups of dancers come from each other in an orderly and changeable way. The content of the dance is the traditional production and life scene of the Yi people, which is simple and healthy. The rhythm of the dance is drum and copper bell. Sometimes the bell is like a torrential rain, sometimes it is like a whisper. There are many difficult movements in the dance. They are as graceful as a dragon, which vividly and vividly show the heroic spirit of the brave and powerful Yi mountain men on the battlefield.

When dancing the bell dance, the dancer holds the horse bell in his right hand and the ribbon in his left hand. In the past, only young men were allowed to dance, and the number of participants was generally four or six. After the founding of the people's Republic of China, after adaptation, the performance forms of the bell dance became more diversified, the stage layout and formation were greatly adjusted, and the content also changed. It mainly shows the development history of the Yi People's ancestors, who lived tenaciously in the struggle against nature, and lived and multiplied from generation to generation. From then on, women were able to participate.

The Bell Dance of Yi nationality retains its original style and features. It is the most complete folk dance form of Yi nationality with the highest artistic value and the widest spread. It vividly reflects the national character and aesthetic taste of Yi people and has a great influence in the whole northwest Guizhou. In addition, the Bell Dance of Yi nationality is also a living material to understand the funeral customs of Yi nationality and the beliefs, rituals and customs of Yi ancestors, and a model to carry forward the national folk culture, which has many aspects of research value.

At present, due to the change of the cultural and ecological environment, the aging of the artists, the change of the environment and the lack of talents, the "Bell Dance" is facing the crisis of loss, which is in urgent need of rescue and protection.