China News Service, Shenzhen, March 7th: Why does Chaoshan Ying's singing and dancing continue to ignite at home and abroad?
——Exclusive interview with Chen Laifa, representative inheritor of national intangible cultural heritage projects and leader of Puning Nanshan Yingge Dance Troupe in Jieyang, Guangdong
China News Service reporter Cai Minjie
As the most representative traditional art in the Chaoshan region, Yingge dance has been popular in Shantou, Jieyang and Chaozhou, Guangdong for more than 300 years. Its performance content is often adapted from literary classics such as "Water Margin", integrating dance, Nanquan routines, Opera and acting skills in one.
Yingge was included in the first batch of national intangible cultural heritage representative projects in 2006. It is known as "Ansai waist drum in the north and Puning Yingge in the south".
In recent years, Chaoshanying singing and dancing has continued to be popular and "out of the circle". This year's Spring Festival was invited to perform in London, England. Its majestic, majestic and fast-moving lineup attracted more than 700,000 spectators along the way and on site.
Why can Chaoshan Ying's singing and dancing continue to stir up excitement at home and abroad?
What is its inheritance, development and inspiration?
Recently, Chen Laifa, the representative inheritor of the second batch of national intangible cultural heritage project Yingge (Puning Yingge) and the leader of the Puning Nanshan Yingge Dance Troupe in Jieyang, Guangdong, accepted an exclusive interview with China News Service's "East-West Question" and gave an in-depth interpretation.
Video: [East-West Question] Why does Chaoshan Ying’s singing and dancing continue to stir up excitement at home and abroad?
Source: China News Network
The interview transcript is summarized as follows:
Reporter from China News Service: Ying's singing and dancing are powerful and heroic, and are known as the "Chinese War Dance". Why have Yingge and dance been popular in Chaoshan area for hundreds of years? What kind of cultural symbol does this look to Chaoshan people?
Chen Laifa:
Yingge dance is a unique traditional folk dance in Chaoshan area, and its history can be traced back to the late Ming and early Qing dynasties.
In the 1980s, dance experts from Guangdong went to Chaoshan to investigate the origins of Yingge and dance. They found that there are three theories about the origin of Yingge and dance, including evolving from Shandong Daguzi Yangko and other operas, and folk songs in the late Ming and early Qing Dynasties to resist oppression. It was created and used for martial arts practice, as well as for offering sacrifices, inviting gods, and entertainment.
On February 14, 2024, the fifth day of the first lunar month, the "Chinese English Songs and Dances in Shantou" Spring Festival English Song and Dance Performance Parade was held in Shantou, Guangdong. 15 English singing teams and nearly a thousand "dancers" presented a performance full of "New Year's flavor" .
Photo by Chen Chuhong
Traditional English singing and dancing has a rich heritage, and the performance is majestic, heroic, and awe-inspiring, giving people a feeling that they will never tire of.
In the eyes of Chaoshan people, English singing and dancing have the function of promoting good and suppressing evil, ensuring auspiciousness and peace for a place, praying for peace and prosperity for the country and the people, good weather, and bringing good luck and fortune.
As a Chaoshan person, especially a teenager, if I don't see Ying singing and dancing on festive occasions such as the Spring Festival, I will feel "itchy" in my heart.
During the Lantern Festival on February 24, 2024, there was a British singing and dancing performance in the Xiao Park Historical and Cultural District in Shantou, Guangdong.
Photo by Chen Chuhong
China News Service Reporter: British singers and dancers have different costumes and facial makeup. What do they represent? What are the implications?
Chen Laifa:
In some areas of Chaoshan, almost every village has its own singing group, and each singing group has a unique style of facial makeup.
Most of these facial masks are based on the images and character traits of Liangshanbo heroes.
They appeared one after another, tapping and dancing with special double short sticks, accompanied by the rhythm of gongs, drums and conch trumpets, and performed in changing formations.
Taking the Puning Nanshan Yingcho Troupe as an example, the story narrated in the performance is mainly based on the chapter "Liangshan heroes put on makeup and perform tricks to attack Daming Mansion to rescue Lu Junyi" in "Water Margin".
The team leader plays the role of Shi Qian, the "flea on the drum" in "Water Margin". The design of Shi Qian's facial makeup mainly focused on the coloring and outline of the eyes, nose, and mouth to highlight the image of the snake and make the hands The changing image of the dancing snake exploring the way is more clearly identifiable.
After that came the "head hammer", "two hammers", "three hammers" and "four hammers". The one who gave the head hammer was "Ruyunlong" Gongsun Sheng. Since Gongsun Sheng was a Taoist priest, he had a Tai Chi pattern painted on his head and wore a red beard.
The second hammer is "Black Whirlwind" Li Kui. He is a representative of strength, so he has more black elements on his body, even his beard is black.
Qin Ming, the "Thunderbolt Fire", has an impatient personality and a thunderous voice, so his facial makeup is painted with the element of fire.
On February 14, 2024, the fifth day of the first lunar month, the "Chinese English Songs and Dances in Shantou" Spring Festival English Song and Dance Performance Parade was held in Shantou, Guangdong.
Photo by Chen Chuhong
In terms of clothing, the styles of different places and teams also vary.
For example, most of the costumes of the Shantou Chaoyang Ying Chorus are long and brightly colored.
Puning Nanshan Yingge is an allegro. Due to the tight rhythm, dance movements such as squatting and jumping need to be performed in a short time. The costumes are all "short clothes", which looks more crisp and can better show the hero. Characteristics of strong physical strength.
On February 14, 2024, the fifth day of the first lunar month, the "Chinese English Songs and Dances in Shantou" Spring Festival English Song and Dance Performance Parade was held in Shantou, Guangdong.
Photo by Chen Chuhong
Reporter from China News Service: Chaoshan Yingge has a history of hundreds of years. During the historical evolution, what changes and innovations have there been in Yingge and dance?
Chen Laifa:
I joined the Youth Singing Team in Nanshan Village, Puning, when I was 18 years old, and later became the captain and coach of the Ying Singing Team. It has been 50 years.
In the past, Ying Ge and Dance were mainly performed during the Youshen Games held in urban and rural areas of Chaoshan. It was a kind of square dance.
In 1992, my Nanshan Ying Singing Team was invited to participate in the Square Art Invitational Competition held in Tianjin.
At that time, I thought that when everyone was performing on stage, if the original arrangement of the performance in the square was followed, the team members would form a circle, and some team members would have their backs to the audience, which would not look good.
On February 20, 2024, a traditional wandering god folk activity was held in Ximeizhai Village, Chaozhou, Guangdong. The parade team's singing and dancing performances attracted people to watch.
Photo by Chen Chuhong
In order to bring the British singing and dancing to a wider stage, we boldly innovated and adapted the formation of the British singing and dancing.
It was very difficult to make this change at the time. The older generation of players were unwilling, so they had to convince them to make the change.
This formation has gradually become a common pattern, and Nanshan Yingge has appeared more frequently in various large-scale performances and events.
Today, Nanshan Yingcho Troupe is still innovating with the changes of the times.
I think English singing and dancing should be innovative, but not change its flavor.
Once it goes bad, what is passed down is no longer a true tradition.
On March 23, 2023, Guangdong Puning Nanshan Yingge performed at the "Intangible Cultural Heritage Night" of the 2023 Intangible Cultural Heritage Brand Conference.
Photo by Chen Chuhong
Reporter from China News Service: There are many young faces in British singing and dancing. What is the current status of the inheritance of British singing and dancing?
Chen Laifa:
When we were learning English singing and dancing in the past, we had to turn on loudspeakers in the village and say: In order to promote folk art, the English singing team will recruit new members. Young people who like English singing and dancing should sign up.
For a period of time, there were not many young people who wanted to learn English singing and dancing. As one of the inheritors, I was worried that there would be a gap.
However, with economic and social development, this situation has improved, and with the support of the government and society, a large number of young people are now willing to learn and perform British songs and dances, which has also promoted the further spread of British songs and dances.
In order to cultivate and develop more members of the Ying Singing Team from an early age, I promote Ying Singing and Dance to campus so that more students can contact and learn this traditional cultural form, and also give Ying Singing and Dance new vitality and charm.
On February 9, 2023, in Chaozhou, Guangdong, the Chaoyang Ximen Women's English Singing Troupe appeared at the Mazu Cultural Parade in Xiandu Township.
Photo by Chen Chuhong
For example, there are two "Shi Qian" in our team who are leading the charge with dancing snakes. One is an adult "Shi Qian" and the other is a 6-year-old "Xiao Qian".
Generally speaking, a British singing team only needs one "Shi Qian", but in order to ensure good inheritance, we have two "Shi Qian" perform on the stage together, which actually means that the big one leads the small ones, and the old leads the new ones. .
Puning Yingge has always had the old habit of "passing it on to the inner but not to the outside world, and not to the male but to the female". However, with the promotion of "English singing and dancing in schools", many girls are now learning English singing and dancing.
In our team, a new little girl has joined this year. She will be responsible for playing the roles of the three female generals Hu Sanniang, Sun Erniang or Gu Dasao.
I think as long as they like Yingge, residents of the village or outside the village, men and women, can join in and learn. It is a good thing to let more people participate.
Today, there are about 113 English singing groups in Puning alone. Among them, the average age of the Nanshan English singing group is about 25 years old, which is very young.
On February 9, 2023, in Chaozhou, Guangdong, the Chaoyang Ximen Women's English Singing Troupe appeared at the Mazu Cultural Parade in Xiandu Township.
Photo by Chen Chuhong
Reporter from China News Service: Why has Yingge Dance become so popular in the past two years? What are the underlying reasons behind it?
Chen Laifa:
English singing and dancing originally have the meaning of promoting good and suppressing evil, auspiciousness and peace, and have their own unique cultural value.
The people have good wishes for Yingge. The Yingge and dance performance held at the beginning of the new year can "drive away evil" and welcome the spring and bring good fortune. Therefore, it also attracts people from outside the Chaoshan area to come and watch.
At the same time, with the continuous development of new social media such as short videos, all sectors of society can better understand outstanding intangible cultural heritage projects.
Our English singing and dancing team saw people filming on the "three floors inside" and "three floors outside" along the way, so we danced even more energetically.
In addition, the continued "out of the circle" of British singing and dancing is inseparable from the country's emphasis on the inheritance and development of China's excellent traditional culture and the promotion of cultural confidence in recent years.
On March 23, 2023, Guangdong Puning Nanshan Yingge performed at the "Intangible Cultural Heritage Night" of the 2023 Intangible Cultural Heritage Brand Conference.
Photo by Chen Chuhong
Reporter from China News Service: This year's Spring Festival, British singing and dancing "went overseas" to London, England, attracting hundreds of thousands of people to watch. What was the takeaway from this trip for you? What is the evaluation of British singing and dancing overseas?
Chen Laifa:
We cherish this opportunity to perform overseas. We carefully selected team members with 15 years of performance experience. We not only trained for more than a month in advance, but also redesigned the performance costumes and team flags.
During the performance, everyone overcame the difficulties caused by jet lag and physical discomfort, gritted their teeth and persevered, performed the dance moves in place, and performed the essence of British singing and dancing.
When our team performed in London, England, the local overseas Chinese and people gave us thumbs up when they saw us.
As the British singing team marched forward, some local people in London felt that the drums we were carrying were very heavy, and they specially held our drums with their hands to help us lose weight.
During the curtain call, the audience cheered in unison.
Although we didn't understand English, we felt very shocked at the time. The applause and cheers from the audience were our biggest gain.
This performance in London is not the first time that Chaoshan Yingge has gone abroad. Yingge has also been well spread in Thailand.
In recent years, local overseas Chinese in Thailand have organized groups to Puning for cultural exchanges with us. Our English singing and dancing not only "go out", but also attract overseas "come in".
On February 14, 2024, the fifth day of the first lunar month, the "Chinese English Songs and Dances in Shantou" Spring Festival English Song and Dance Performance Parade was held in Shantou, Guangdong.
Photo by Chen Chuhong
China News Service reporter: What are your expectations for the future development of Yingge Dance?
Chen Laifa:
As one of the representatives of traditional Chinese culture, English singing and dancing has entered the international stage and narrowed the cultural distance between different ethnic groups.
Yingge Dance continues to innovate, and with the help of new media platforms, it has expanded its forms of expression and is attracting more young people's participation and attention, giving traditional culture new vitality in contemporary society.
I hope that the government can provide greater support and provide more and more open platforms for traditional culture to "go overseas". As a literary and art worker of Yingge and Dance, I will also make more efforts to better promote Yingge and Dance to the world.
Expert profile:
Chen Laifa accepted an exclusive interview with a reporter from China News Service in Shenzhen, Guangdong.
Photo by Cai Minjie
Chen Laifa, born in 1957, is from Puning, Guangdong.
The second batch of representative inheritors of the national intangible cultural heritage project Yingge (Puning Yingge).
Chen Laifa started learning English singing and dancing at the age of 18. The following year he served as the head coach of the English singing team. Since 1990, he has been the coach of the English singing team and is the sixth generation successor of Puning Yingge.
The baton moves he performed were flexible, powerful, fast and fierce.
Representative works include: "Song of Heroes", "Song of Heroes in Nanshan", etc.