Yi dance is a dance spread in the Yi area and is an important part of the life of the Yi people. Its forms are rich and colorful, and most of them imitate the movements during production labor. Ancient dances include "cock fighting" and "sheep fighting" that imitate animal images, "hairpin dancing" and "knife dance" that symbolize war, and "big drum" to celebrate harvest, etc.

When the Yi people celebrate the New Year, you can see the dance forms "Bamboo Horse" and "Stilts" originating from the Central Plains culture. When the Yi people hold rituals to worship their ancestors and pray for a good harvest, they can see "wooden drums", "copper drums", "sheepskin drums", etc.

These dances are performed by the wizards "Bi Mo" and "Su Ye". While beating the drums, they quickly swing their shoulders, chest, and hips as the main dance vocabulary. In addition, dances such as "Tiaoping Palace" and "Tiaoqijia" performed during the "Tiaogong Festival" still retain traces of ancient hunting and inter-tribal wars, as well as sacrificial rituals and dance scenes of warriors going out, fighting, and triumphantly. This is a way to commemorate and praise ancient heroes. Extended information

There are five types of Yi dance, including playing songs, dancing strings, Luo Zuo, dancing three strings, and dancing on felts. The first four types of dance originate from the ancient life of the Yi people, and the fifth type, which imitates the dance of eagles and bears, is related to the ancient polytheism and totem worship of the Yi people. This kind of animal imitation dance has graceful movements. In the long historical process, it has gradually been separated from the sacrificial rituals, and the aesthetic consciousness of each era has been continuously added, making it a performance dance specially for people to appreciate.

Reference: Baidu Encyclopedia-Yi Dance