"Waist drum" is a form of folk dance widely spread throughout northern Shaanxi. It is especially popular in Ansai County in Yan'an area and Hengshan, Mizhi, Yulin and other places in Yulin area. It is a form of folk dance in Shaanxi. One of the most influential dance styles in China. 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, powerful steps, changing formations, and majestic shouts fully demonstrate the masculine beauty of men and are extremely famous in the world.
Ansai waist drum mostly adopts the form of collective performance. The drummers (called "sling drums" or "kick drums") can range from dozens to more than a hundred people. The team includes characters such as Latte Art Lady, 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 , which requires neat and unified movements and standardized formation changes, mainly through the heroic and rough dancing postures and vigorous drumming skills of the drummers, fully demonstrates 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. (recommended) first organizes sacrificial activities, called "visiting the temple": the dance team, led by the umbrella leader, beats the gongs and drums, blows the suona, and sometimes carries whole pigs, sheep and other offerings to the temple to burn incense and worship the gods. After the "visiting the temple" is over, the waist drum team starts a door-to-door New Year greeting activity, which is commonly known as "Yanmenzi". There is a proverb like this: "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 enters the courtyard to beat, dance and sing to avoid disasters and ensure peace throughout the year. This may be a legacy of the ancient "rural Nuo" custom. When they meet on the way, usually the umbrella leaders will 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, the movements are generally simple and small in amplitude. They usually perform movements such as "cross step", "walking step", and "horse step around the waist". Commonly used formations include "single crossing the street", "double crossing the street", "single dragon swinging its tail", "double dragon swinging its tail", etc.