Bamboo dance is a kind of dance that exists in some ethnic minorities in China, but its meaning in each ethnic group is also different. In the Li nationality, bamboo dance generally exists as a form of sacrifice, while the Wa nationality, who think that the soul is immortal after death, also needs singing and dancing in another world, will jump on a bamboo dance to bid farewell to the old man's departure.

Then, let's take a look at the Wa culture with me!

The Wa people live across borders and are distributed in China, Myanmar and Thailand. There are nearly 3, Wa people in China, which are distributed in Cangyuan, Ximeng, Gengma, Shuangjiang, Zhenkang, Yongde and Lancang counties in the west and southwest of Yunnan Province, Xishuangbanna Autonomous Prefecture and dehong autonomous prefecture. Among them, Cangyuan Wa Autonomous County and Ximeng Wa Autonomous County are the main inhabited areas of Wa people, and the population of Wa people in these two counties accounts for about 58% of the total population of Wa people in China. The Wa nationality in China is located between Lancang River and salween, where the southern section of Nushan Mountain is distributed. In this area, the mountains overlap and there are few flat dams, so it is also called Awa Mountain Area.

Bamboo dance, also known as bamboo dance, has three postures: sitting, squatting and standing, which are varied. In the rhythmic and regular banging sound, dancers should not only jump forward and backward quickly, but also do all kinds of graceful movements naturally at the moment when bamboo poles are separated and combined. When a pair of dancers deftly jump out of the bamboo pole, the pole holder will shout loudly, "Hey! Hehe! " The occasion is very heroic and free and easy, and the atmosphere is warm. If the dancers are not skilled or timid, they will be caught by bamboo poles or hit on the head, and the pole holders will lift the caught people with bamboo poles and fall out, and they will laugh together. On the contrary, the young man who is good at dancing bamboo pole often wins the favor of girls because of his agility and flexibility.

The dance form is the same as that of Li bamboo dance in Hainan Province. That is, two big bamboo poles are laid flat on the ground. Outside the two big bamboo poles, people hold the small bamboo poles face to face and slide back and forth along the big bamboo poles, and the dancers jump in the gap where the two poles slide and collide. The dance moves are lively and cheerful, imitating the form of ants, turtledoves, leopards and thrushes.

The action of bamboo pole dance is to generate load in the unique form of people's muscle activity, stimulate internal organs, improve the functional state of human cardiovascular circulation system and respiratory system, enhance human muscle strength and joint flexibility, and improve human working ability. It is a kind of body language and one of the best ways for people to exchange ideas and express their feelings. Bamboo dance needs music accompaniment, which can promote people's understanding of music rhythm, harmonious movement and enhance the sense of rhythm.

The original bamboo dance was generally held after the death of the prestigious and influential old people in the village, and the dance was performed by beating the bamboo pole with a pestle. All the people in the village can participate. The local old man said: "Although a man is dead, his soul will not die, and it will also be inseparable from singing and dancing when he arrives in another world, so people will sing and dance to see him off." It is this broad-minded view of life and death that has created many funeral dances of the Wa people. But now it has become an entertaining dance.