The Cigarette Box Dance of the Yi people, also known as "Tiao Xian", is a mass folk dance of the Yi people in Yunnan and other places. With the changes of the times, the cultural environment of cigarette box dance has gradually developed and changed, and the traditional custom of "eating fire grass and cigarettes" has also disappeared. So, do you know about the Cigarette Box Dance of the Yi people?
Next, let us take a look at it from the perspective of national culture!
The historical origin of the Cigarette Box Dance
The "Cigarette Box Dance" is a traditional folk dance. There are different legends about its origin. The more common saying is that in order to hunt wild animals, the Yi people often wear animal skins and mingle among the herds of animals. Later, this imitation of beast movements was gradually developed into dance, and the "three-step string" was formed. Another theory is that the three-step string is like walking up and down the mountain while picking seedlings. In short, this shows that the "Cigarette Box Dance" originated from the labor struggle life of the Yi people. It is also said that there were no props in the beginning of the cigarette box dance, but because the rhythm was inconsistent and the dance was uneven, clapping was used to unify the rhythm. Later, someone played with a cigarette box containing yellow cigarettes and made a pleasant sound, so the cigarette box was used instead of clapping. . After being passed down from generation to generation, it has been continuously enriched and developed into today's "Cigarette Box Dance".
The distinctive characteristics of the Cigarette Box Dance
1. The Cigarette Box Dance of the Yi people includes two parts, sine and miscellaneous, forming two styles and multiple genres and dance routines in mountainous areas and dam areas. There are more than 220 sets, and currently only 117 sets have been collected and compiled, including 62 sets of sine strings and 55 sets of miscellaneous strings. The dance forms include pas de deux, trio dance and group dance. The dancers hold old round wooden cigarette boxes that hold firewood, and with the accompaniment of four strings, they hit the bottom of the box and dance rhythmically. The rhythm is bright and the atmosphere is warm.
2. The graphic changes of the cigarette box dance are also very distinctive. In addition to the ordinary circle dance, there are rich and colorful flower-piercing graphic changes and combinations. There are 6 people wearing flowers, 4 people wearing flowers, 3 people wearing flowers, 2 people wearing flowers, etc. The dance and graphic changes are coordinated in a clever and harmonious manner, becoming an important part of the style of the cigarette box dance.
3. Cigarette Box Dance is closely related to the life of the Yi people. The "fighting hoof shell" in the dance obviously imitates the fighting hoof of animals; the "stepping on grain seeds", "stepping on mushrooms", etc. are dances that reflect farming; Actions change. It is said that there was no cigarette case when starting the dance, and they only danced with bare hands or clapped their hands. Later, when people smoked, they discovered that when they flicked the cigarette case with their fingers, they could make a "croak, croak" sound, which not only unified the rhythm of the dance, but also added to the lively atmosphere of the dance. So he bounced his cigarette case and danced, which has been passed down to this day.
4. The Cigarette Box Dance of the Yi people in Shiping has a distinctive personality and diverse skills. The famous skills include "Fairy Building a Bridge", "Ants Moving", "Upside Down Golden Hook", etc. This distinctive folk dance can be used for both fitness and pleasure. Its movements are smooth and unrestrained, and it is full of artistic appeal. It is deeply loved by the masses and spreads throughout urban and rural areas. It has now developed into a collection of singing, dancing, music and competition. comprehensive dance art.
As the most distinctive dance of the Yi people in southern Yunnan, the Cigarette Box Dance uses a unique dance vocabulary to demonstrate the historical outlook, moral values, values ??and ways of thinking of the Yi people’s culture. It has great significance in ethnology, folklore, It has high research value in the field of sociology. At the same time, the Cigarette Box Dance, like Yi folk songs, is widely loved by local people of all ethnic groups for its unique artistic charm, and has become a platform for strengthening unity and enhancing friendship among ethnic groups. On May 20, 2006, the Yi Cigarette Box Dance was approved to be included in the first batch of national intangible cultural heritage lists.