High platform long drum dance
2023-08-02 08:50:29
The long drum dance is a unique folk dance of the Yao ethnic group. Specifically, the high platform long drum dance is performed in the Taoyuanping area of Xiyao Township in Linwu County, Chenzhou City. The dance is typically performed during the Spring Festival, celebrations of a bountiful harvest, housewarming events, and ceremonial rituals.
The dance mainly depicts the construction of traditional earthen houses, portraying the entire process, from laying the foundation to raising the pillars, and completing the new house, through a series of coordinated movements.
The dance usually involves pairs or groups of four dancers, who engage in a synchronized high platform drumming and dancing on one or two elevated tables, which requires high-level skills. The music is predominantly accompanied by suona (a traditional wind instrument) and supplemented by drums.
In 2012, the dance was included on the representative list of the third batch of the city-level intangible cultural heritage items. In 2016, it was listed in the fourth batch of the provincial-level representative intangible cultural heritage projects.
