Ansai waist drum is a very unique folk large-scale dance art form with a history of more than 2,000 years. The unique and charming Ansai waist drum statue set off a craze on the loess land, showing the simple and bold character of the farmers in the northwest Loess Plateau, and expressing their unique artistic personality. Show your style in Beijing, the capital of China, in Hong Kong, and all over China, and attract the attention of the world. The bold and rough movement changes and the vigorous and unrestrained dance fully reflect the honest, simple, brave and powerful personality of the people in the northern Shaanxi Plateau. As early as 1986, Ansai Waist Drum won the highest honor award in the first Chinese Folk Dance Competition. In recent years, it has performed at the opening ceremony of the 11th Asian Games, the Hong Kong Return Celebration and other large-scale events, and has also performed in Japan. The Ansai waist drum performance can be performed by a few people or thousands of people. Its majestic momentum and exquisite expression are intoxicating. It is known as "the best drum in the world". In 1996, Ansai County was named the "Hometown of Chinese Waist Drums" by the Ministry of Culture. The country attaches great importance to the protection of intangible cultural heritage. On May 20, 2006, Ansai waist drum was approved by the State Council to be included in the first batch of national intangible cultural heritage lists. Ansai waist drum is one of the three unique features of Ansai.

1. Introduction to the performance

"Waist drum" is a form of folk drumming widely spread in various parts of northern Shaanxi, especially in Ansai County in Yan'an area, Hengshan and Mizhi in Yulin area. It is most popular in places such as Shaanxi and Yulin, and is one of the most influential dance types in Shaanxi folk dance. The waist drum in northern Shaanxi has a broad mass base and a long history of development. In some major spreading areas, almost every village has a drum troupe and every household has a drummer. And it is passed down from generation to generation and lasts for a long time. Precisely because it has been spread for a long time, has a wide scope, and has a large number of participants, although the basic form and rhythm of the dance are roughly the same, different performance styles and customs have been formed in different regions. Ansai waist drum is one of the representative ones.

Ansai waist drum has a long history. It was originally used by the ancient military to increase the morale of the army and convey information. Here it is used to express the cheers of victory and the joy of harvest. The dense drumming, strong steps, changing formations, and majestic shouts fully reflect the masculine beauty of men and are extremely famous internationally.

Ansai waist drum mostly adopts the form of collective performance, and the drummer ( Called "Douzi" or "Kicking the drum") the number of people can range from dozens to more than a hundred. The team includes characters such as Latte Art, Umbrella Head, Barbarian Woman, Barbarian Man, and various small-stage performances such as "Donkey Running" and "Water Boat" to form a mighty folk dance team. The overall effect is emphasized in the performance. , requiring the neat and unified movements and the standardization of formation changes, mainly through the heroic and rough dancing postures and vigorous and powerful drumming skills of the drummers, fully demonstrating the masculine beauty of the men living on the Loess Plateau

Ansai waist drum has a complete performance program and activity customs. In the past, it was mostly performed in festive festivals and temple fairs. Every year from the Spring Festival to the Lantern Festival, it was a concentrated activity time. Before the activity, the temple fair president (elected by each village) (produced) first organized sacrificial activities, called "visiting the temple": the dance team, led by the umbrella leader, beat the gongs, drums, and blew the suona, and sometimes carried whole pigs, sheep and other offerings to the temple to burn incense and worship the gods and pray. After the "visit to the temple" is over, the waist drum team starts a door-to-door New Year greeting activity, which is commonly known as "Yanmenzi" in the local area. A proverb: "The gongs, drums, and suonas are ringing, but the sticks are prying under your buttocks!" "The crowd couldn't sit still. At this time, the waist drum team visited each house in turn according to the situation in the village, and performed for a while in the courtyard of the main house and in front of the kiln. The umbrella leader sang a few auspicious yangko based on the situation of each house, and to The host family believes that the waist drum team entering the courtyard and playing, dancing and singing can ward off disasters and ensure peace throughout the year. This may be a legacy of the ancient "rural Nuo" custom. When they meet on the way, the umbrella leaders usually sing yangko to each other, greet the New Year, and give way. But sometimes there will be situations where each other refuses to give way. At this time, the two teams will compete in the gongs and drums. The masterpiece, the sound of the suona and the sound of the waist drum, are like the rolling spring thunder. The drummers beat and jump like crazy. When the drum music pauses, the drummers from both sides come out to sing in duet. This is also an aspect of the competition. If one team is confused first, moves inconsistently, and the drumbeats and formations are not unified or the antiphons are not answered correctly, they will be considered a losers, and they will take the initiative to give way and let the winner go first.

After the "Yanmenzi" is over, the waist drum troupes of neighboring villages also pay New Year greetings to each other, visit each other, and perform exchanges. This is the same as the Yangko in northern Shaanxi, which is called "Tacaimen". The village waist drum troupe gathered in the square and began to compete with each other. Drummers from all walks of life showed off their skills and competed with each other. This became the climax of the year's waist drum performance. This not only invigorated the rural Spring Festival entertainment activities, but also allowed each other to observe and compare their skills. , promoted the popularization and improvement of the waist drum. The "Turn the Lights" (also known as "Zhuan Jiuqu") will be held that night, and almost everyone will compete, and the whole family will play together. The drums will sound, the lights will flash, and the waist drum team will perform. The activities of the waist drum team usually last until the 17th or 18th day of the first lunar month, and then end after worshiping the Earth God. Prepare for spring plowing and production.

The performance forms of waist drum can be roughly divided into "road drum" and "field drum".

"Road Drum" is a performance form in which the waist drum team dances while walking. It is led by two umbrella leaders, followed by the dance team B-Umbrella consisting of drums and latte art. There is a drum player behind the head, called "Toulu Guzi". He must be a skilled drummer. He directs the whole team's movement changes and rapid rhythm. At the back of the team, there are clowns dressed as barbarian women and barbarian men, and some dressed as Monkey King, Zhu Bajie and other characters from Tang Monk's Buddhist scriptures, twisting and making fun at will to add to the joyful atmosphere of the festival. Since "Road Drum" is performed while marching, its movements are generally simple and small in amplitude. It mostly performs "cross step", "walking step", "horse step and waist wrapping" and other movements. Commonly used formations include "single crossing the street", "double crossing the street", "single dragon swinging its tail", "double dragon swinging its tail", etc.

"Field drum" refers to the performance form after the waist drum team arrives at the performance location and opens the venue. At the beginning, the umbrella head waved the umbrella to give the command, and suddenly the drums and music started to sound, and the dancers danced along with the umbrella head. This section is called "stepping on the big field", and the performance is slow-paced. The purpose is to open up the venue, expand the team, and stabilize the audience's emotions. In the second section, there is singing and dancing. The performance rhythm gradually becomes faster, the range of movements is larger, and the formation changes a lot. Commonly used formations include "sacred tower", "ancient temple", "gold medal hanging in front of the god", "wealth and honor never stop", "monk wandering around the door", etc. After the "solar arc" pattern is introduced, the umbrella head stands in the center of the venue and leads the yangko singing. The lyrics depend on the occasion and the audience. During the "visiting the temple", there are temple worship rituals. Generally, the performance includes New Year greetings to the audience, as well as happy harvest and blessings. Auspicious content. When the Umbrella Head sings, the dancers slowly walk in circles on the sidelines and repeat the last line of each section, commonly known as "the back tone". After singing, the umbrella leader exits the venue, and performs with drums and latte art, forming various complex and changeable formations. At this moment, there is no time limit. The dancers can express their unique skills to the fullest, with passionate emotions and ups and downs, bringing the performance to a climax.

In recent years, in order to highlight the skills of carrying the drum, Ansai waist drum performs "field drum" by carrying the drum alone in the venue. Under the command of Toulu Guzi, the drummers were in high spirits and danced wildly. At this time, drumsticks were waving, colorful silks were flying, and the sound of drums was like thunder, shaking the earth, powerful and contagious.

After this section is over, other forms of small performances are interspersed, such as "Donkey Racing", "Water Boat", "Stilts", "Two Ghosts Fighting", "Big-Headed Monk", etc. The number of program formats depends on the talents and conditions of each village. After the small performance, there will be a large waist drum performance. At this moment, the gongs and drums were beating faster, the suona was playing harder, the drumming was more intense, and the mood was more cheerful, making the whole performance end in a strong atmosphere and high emotions.

Ansai waist drum can be divided into literary and martial arts according to different styles and rhythms. "Wen waist drum" is relaxed, cheerful, lively, with small movement range, similar to Yangko style; "Wu waist drum" is cheerful, intense and rough. It is unrestrained and has large kicking, jumping and rotating movements, especially the drummer's leaping skills, giving people a heroic and exciting feeling. At present, Wen and Wu waist drums are gradually combined to form a new style, and Xihekou Township and Zhenwu Cave in Ansai are the most distinctive. They vividly reflect the honest and simple temperament and character traits of the local people. Especially in the performance, it organically combines folk martial arts and Yangko dance movements, which are relaxed and relaxed, lively but not chaotic, advancing and retreating in an orderly manner, majestic, and powerful. The masses praised it as "generous in style but hard in code".

2. The style characteristics of Ansai waist drum can be summarized as follows:

1. Express the dancer’s inner passion through changes in movement. When the dancers beat the drums, they can't help but shake their heads and shoulders slightly, so that the inner emotions and the external rhythms are organically combined to achieve both spirit and form, harmony and ease;

2. The dancers swing the drumsticks with great force. Whether they hit them up, down or around their waists, they have to throw the drumsticks away with both hands. But although it is ruthless but not brutal, it looks straight and strong, and it still has a sense of delicacy despite its fierceness;

3. When doing kicking and jumping movements, whether it is a big kick, a small kick or a leg kick, you must have "brute" strength. The rhythm is cheerful and difficult, which represents the rough, bold and vigorous style of Ansai waist drum;

4. Turning during drumming is the key to Ansai waist drum performance. In dance, any squatting or kicking action must involve turning around, and the turning must be violent. Especially when doing a set of movements such as jumping in the air, landing on the ground, squatting, turning around, and starting at the same time, you must use rapid and violent force in a fixed rhythm. Only in this way can the changes and connections of movements be completed;

5. The rhythmic shape is complex and the jump amplitude is large. As the tempo of the performance quickens, the steps begin to perform complex kicking and jumping, and the body swings from side to side in an increased range. For example, when performing movements such as "horse step kicking", "one-piece turn", "horse step jumping" and other movements, the dancer uses the lunge to jump backwards twice, then strides forward with the left leg, and kicks the ground with the right leg. It rises like a dragon and a tiger leaping forward, showing a tenacious and fighting spirit. The costumes of carrying drums and traditional opera. Similar to the martial arts students in the film, they wear tight black clothes, a straw hat and a beard, with a red face and thick eyebrows, and the beard should be spread out during the performance. As times change, so do the costumes of dancers. In recent years, the waist drum costumes in Xihekou Township have become closer to life, but the costumes of the Zhenwudong waist drum team still retain the costumes of ancient warriors, with hero scarves on their heads, war skirts on their waists, and red tasseled shoes on their feet, which is quite similar to ancient times. Soldiers and generals on the battlefield.

In addition to the drumbeats played by the dancers themselves as the main accompaniment, Ansai waist drums are also accompanied by folk persuasion bands. The instruments include drums, cymbals, gongs, etc., as well as suona playing tunes. Commonly used tunes include (Soushan Ling).

3. Historical development

Ansai waist drum has a long history. To trace its origin, we have to start with the drum. Drums are a symbol of spirit, and dance is an expression of strength. The combination of encouragement and encouragement is the first of its kind in dance culture. If "Shang Shu. Yi Ji" "hit the stone and pick up the stone, and the beasts dance" describes that people in primitive society beat the stone tools and imitated the images of beasts to dance the totem dance, then "Yi Xi Ci" "Drumming" "Dancing to the extreme" shows that the emergence of drums made dance leap forward and became the beginning of agricultural dance culture. It is an important art form that promotes the national spirit. Beating drums is used in war to herald the beginning of war.

Drums are not only used in war, but also become indispensable percussion instruments in folk dances. After the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, there were more and more folk dances with drums as percussion accompaniments, and even dances named after drums gradually appeared. The "Hundred Operas Picture" in the Han Dynasty paintings in Yinan, Shandong Province more completely records the grand performance of "Hundred Operas". The accompaniment includes bells, pans, drums and other percussion instruments. Next to the ornate drum, a person wearing a wide robe and long sleeves is leaning towards the drum, arms raised high, about to beat the drum, dancing gracefully.

Ansai waist drum has a long history and has a history of thousands of years. According to relevant records, in ancient times, men from various tribes in the Yellow River Basin often used a hollow tree pole wrapped in sheepskin, carried it around their waist, and struck it to drive away wild beasts. Later, it was used for alarm and combat. It reached its peak during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, with Qin at its peak. The form and development of Ansai waist drum are inseparable from the local historical and geographical environment and people's customs. Ansai is located in the northern part of the Yan'an region of Shaanxi Province. It has a vast territory with ravines and ravines. The Yan River meanders through the territory. It is a typical Loess Plateau landform. It has been an important military town in history, known as the "throat of Shangjun" and the "key of the north gate". It is one of the border fortresses that resisted foreign invasion. Local people say that as early as the Qin and Han Dynasties, waist drums were regarded by garrison soldiers as indispensable equipment as swords, guns, bows and arrows. When encountering an enemy surprise attack, they would beat drums to call the police and convey messages; when two armies faced each other, they would beat drums to encourage them; when a battle was won, soldiers would beat drums to celebrate. In the following generations, Diao was often used as a frontier guard, to give alarm orders and assist in battles. In the Song Dynasty, they were mostly used at border crossings. Today's Ansai County was the border between the Northern Song Dynasty and the Xixia Kingdom (today's Ningxia). "Ansai County" was established to stabilize the frontier. "Ansai waist drum" also got its name from this reason. It has lasted for thousands of years and has become a folk art with a profound mass foundation. According to surveys, among the 120,000 people in Ansai County, about 10,000 households have waist drums, and 50,000 to 60,000 people can dance them. As time goes by, waist drums have gradually developed from military use to local people praying to gods and wishing for a good harvest. , a folk dance to celebrate the Spring Festival, which makes the waist drum more popular, but the drumming style and performance still retain the heroic appearance of some Qin and Han soldiers.

In 1942, the new Yangko movement emerged in Yan'an and the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Border Region, which developed the ancient folk art of Ansai waist drum and became a symbol for hundreds of millions of soldiers and civilians to celebrate victory and liberation. , and was hailed as the "Victory Waist Drum", which spread throughout the land of China and was recorded in the glorious history of the revolutionary literary and artistic movement. In 1951, Ansai waist drum participated in a national folk music and dance performance. Ai Xiushan and other folk artists from Ansai Fengjiaying Village taught waist drum skills to the China Youth Art Troupe. After performing at the World Youth and Student Festival in Budapest, they won the The special prize made Ansai waist drum famous at home and abroad.

In 1981, on a hillside called "Tomb Collapse" in Wangzhuang Village, Liangcun Township, Yan'an City, which is adjacent to Ansai County, people discovered an ancient tomb while plowing the land. Among them, two waist drum portrait bricks with the same shape and figure were unearthed, both of which were molded and fired. According to the appraisal by cultural relics and archaeological experts in Yan'an area, it was created in the Song Dynasty. The drum player depicted on the brick portrait is holding a thin drum on his waist, turning sideways, raising his head to the left, with his left foot on the ground, his right leg thrust forward, and his hands raised and lowered as if swinging a hammer to beat the drum; the person on the left is The person playing the cymbal jumps up with both feet, sucks the left leg, looks to the left, and makes a hi-hat shape with both hands in front of the chest. The drummer is shirtless, wearing bloomers and a colorful ribbon around his waist that floats down to the front. In particular, the movements and image of the drummer are quite similar to the fourth beat of "horse step and kick" and the second beat of "forward step" in today's Ansai waist drum. The waist drum portrait brick has a clear picture and beautiful shape, which vividly represents the waist drum performance in northern Shaanxi during the Song Dynasty in my country. It provides precious and informative cultural relics for the study of the historical origin and development of waist drum in northern Shaanxi.