China
List Of Dances
Guo Zhuang dance (锅庄舞)
Kalachakra (Cham) Tibet
Lion Dance China
Monlam Festival (Cham) Tibet
* QingMing Festival China
Shana (Cham) Bhutan
Sleeves Dance China
Transition Dance China
Yangko Drum China
Yangko NorthEast China
HUA GU DENG – Anhui China
YI (Row) Dance ChinaBELL DANCE
CHINA
Name of the Dance: Bell Dance (铃铛舞)
Country: China
Region(s): Guizhou
Ethnic Group(s): Yi ethnic group
Spirituality:Traditional
The Yi ethnic group’s Bell Dance (called Kenhobei in the Yi language) dates back to the 8th century BCE, during the era when the Yi ancestors under Emperor Duer divided their territory among six lords. It originally emerged in the Wumeng Mountain region (present-day Hezhang County, Guizhou) as a “battle dance” performed during the escort of fallen soldiers. Over time, it evolved into a ritual dance to comfort the spirits of the dead and console the living.
In ancient Yi society, all citizens were considered warriors. During sacrificial ceremonies, a cavalry formation of 120 dancers was organized to showcase horseback combat. Dancers shook horse bells to control the rhythm and reenact battlefield scenes—thus the name “Bell Dance.”
DEBATE DANCE
REFERENCE : China Tibet Online (website)
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“Spiritualities/buddhism” in this site
CHINA
Region: TIBET
Ethnic group : Tibetan
Spirituality: Tibetan Buddhism
The debate of Tibetan Buddhist Buddhist monks is a unique means of learning, and also forms an important basis for obtaining a diploma by monks in Tibetan Buddhism, dating back over a thousand years of history.
In the Rab Monastery in Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Qinghai Province, nearly 100 Buddhist monks in purple robes are seated in groups in the courtyard in the middle of a monastery. In each group, someone is standing and asking questions, and then he hits the left palm with his right hand to the sky, which means that another crucial moment has arrived. Another person sits on the side and answers the question. In intense debates, we often hear people clapping, we see movements of the legs, these are the external signs of the collision of intense ideas.
Gun Shan Zhu (滚山珠)
References
CHINA
Region(s): Guizhou
Ethnic Group(s): Miao
Spirituality:Traditional
The dance originates from the migration history of the Miao ancestors. According to legend, the Miao people migrated to Heyang Daqing (now Nayong County) in Guizhou in ancient times. Along the way, they encountered thorny wilderness. Young people used their bodies to flatten the thorns to open a path. Later generations choreographed a dance to commemorate this act,
(Credit :Chinese national TV #3)
Guo Zhuang dance (锅庄舞)
CHINA
Region: TIBET
Ethnic group : Tibetan
Spirituality: Transitional
People express their prayers and wishes through dance, and they also receive inspiration and blessings in return. The Guo Zhuang dance originated as a way for early ancestors to communicate with the divine during rituals. On festive occasions and joyous events such as weddings, men and women gather in open squares or courtyards, forming a circle to dance while singing along.
Credit :The Chinese nation YouTube Channel
Fanpai Wooden Drum Dance (反排木鼓舞)
References
CHINA
Region(s): Guizhou
Ethnic Group(s): Miao
Spirituality:Traditional
The dance originates from the Miao people’s Drum-Sacrifice Festival (known as “Chi Gu Zang”), which is held once every 13 years. It is a ritual for worshipping the ancestral “Butterfly Mother” (Meibang Meiliu) and the male progenitor “Jiangyang.”
The Miao ancestor Fang Yegu was attacked by enemy tribes. His children, Yong Yegu and Yangni Yegu, fled to Fanpai. There, they created the dance by imitating the sounds of insects and birds, bees in flight, and woodpeckers pecking at trees. They used hollowed-out maple wood to make drums and choreographed the dance around it.
(Credit :CCTV Chinese national TV)
North East YangKo
AUTHOR : Zhang Dace
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Thanks to Mr LI HAIBING for organising the collection of the informations
CHINA
Region: Northeast China (Jilin Province, Heilongjiang Province and Liaoning Province)
Ethnic group : Han, Manchu, Hui
Spirituality: Traditional
Origin time: Although the specific time is difficult to verify, it is generally believed that it originated in the Ming and Qing Dynasties.
Function: Celebrate harvest, pray and sacrifice.
Dance features: humorous, bold, provocative and humorous.
Dance roles: head-stilts, second stilts, old beards and colorful women, tops, bottoms, fishermen and fishermen, and opera figures.
Dance props: fans, handkerchiefs, stilts, ribbons, etc.
Dance costumes: based on traditional Han costumes, costumes are brightly colored and decorative, such as red flowers, green pants and embroidered shoes.
The dance accompaniment band consists of big drum, big cymbal, small cymbals, gong, suona and so on.
Drum YangKo
AUTHOR : Professor Yue Yin
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CHINA
Region: Central Shandong Province (represented by places like Shanghe)
Ethnic Groups: Han
Spirituality: Traditional
Origin Time: It originated at the end of the Song Dynasty and the beginning of the Yuan Dynasty and developed during the Ming and Qing Dynasties.
Functions: Sacrificial rituals for wishes, festival celebrations, and entertaining the public.
Dance Characteristics: Grand and imposing, vigorous and powerful, with bold and unrestrained movements full of masculine strength.
Dance Roles: Umbrella – leaders, drummers, club – wielders, flower – maidens, clowns, etc. Among them, the umbrella – leaders are the core of the team, guiding the rhythm and formation changes of the dance.
Dance Props: Flower umbrellas, drums, drumsticks, hand gongs, etc.
Dance Costumes: Based on traditional costumes, with bright colors. Men’s costumes are mostly short – sleeved and narrow – sleeved for easy movement; women’s costumes are more flowing, adding a sense of agility.
Accompanying Band: Composed of big drums, gongs, cymbals, suona horns, etc. The music has a lively rhythm, setting off a warm atmosphere.
Meaning The drum yangko expresses the quest for strength and has four “core elements”-stability, heaviness, tenacity.
HUA GU DENG - ANHUI
AUTHOR : Mme Ping Li
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CHINA
Region: Huaiyuan, Fengtai and other places along the Huai River in Anhui Province
Ethnic Group: Han
Spirituality: Traditional
Origin Time: It originated in the Xia and Shang dynasties and gradually matured during the Ming and Qing dynasties.
Functions: Celebrating harvests, praying for blessings and eliminating disasters, and providing cultural entertainment.
Dance Characteristics: The movements are light and graceful, with a brisk and lively rhythm. It combines hardness and softness, integrating the boldness of northern dances and the delicacy of southern dances.
Dance Roles: Mainly include umbrella – holders, drum – players, and “orchids”. The roles are clearly divided and the coordination is tacit.
Dance Props: Flower drums, big gongs, small gongs, cymbals, handkerchiefs, fans, etc.
Dance Costumes: Bright – colored. Men’s costumes are mostly short – styled, highlighting competence; women’s costumes mainly consist of flowing long skirts with exquisite decorations.
Accompanying Band: Composed of percussion instruments such as flower drums, gongs, and cymbals, as well as wind instruments like suona horns. The melodies are full of local characteristics.
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Transition Dance (转场舞)
CHINA
Region(s): Guizhou
Ethnic Group(s): Bouyei ethnic group
Spirituality:Traditional
The dance originated during the reign of Emperor Kangxi in the Qing Dynasty (approximately 300 years ago) in Weipang Dazhai, a village in Cheng County, Guizhou. According to legend, the village leader Wang Baosai initially led the villagers in repelling foreign invaders but later began oppressing his own people. During the New Year period, villagers secretly piled wood around his residence when they were required to deliver firewood to his house. On New Year’s Eve, they set it ablaze, burned down his house, and regained their freedom, celebrating with song and dance around the fire.
Ritual Duality:
Before performing the Transition Dance, the Bouyei people hold a ritual to honor Wang Baosai. This act serves a dual purpose: to commemorate his early contribution in protecting the village, and to warn future generations against abusing power. It reflects the Bouyei ethical value of “punishing evil and promoting good.”