Yingge dance

Yingge Dance (also spelled Ying Ge), also known as Yangge or Yingge, originated in the mid-Ming dynasty. It is a form of Chinese folk square dance in the Chaoshan region of Guangdong, integrating elements of Southern-style martial arts and Chinese opera into a unified local art form. It is especially popular in the Chaopu-Huilu area (Chaoyang, Puning, Huilai, and Lufeng). Performers wear face paint representing heroes of Liangshan, or carry cudgels or hand drums, forming and transforming various formations in rhythm with the drums. The performance style is bold and vigorous. On May 20, 2006, Yingge was inscribed into the first list of 518 items of China’s National Intangible Cultural Heritage.¶

History

There are various theories about the origin of Yingge, including its relation to the Water Margin, the Nuo origin theory, the idea that it came into Chaoshan via Putian from Shandong, the Waijiang Opera theory, the martial arts training theory, and a comprehensive theory. However, the earliest period is generally believed to be the mid-to-late Ming dynasty. The source cited is from the Qianlong era of the Qing dynasty, by Qianlong and Zhou Shuoxun in the "Chaozhou Prefecture Gazetteer," volume twelve: "In spring, farmers transplant rice seedlings in groups of dozens, with one person beating the drum; at each drumbeat a round is made, and people sing in competition continuously for days, called Yangge. This is an unplanned gathering." This description of the performance style differs greatly from today's Yingge. Moreover, from local chronicles and even folk bamboo poetry, especially records related to Lantern Festival customs in Chaozhou, it is often mentioned as being "no different from Zhongzhou." Nevertheless, it shows that the most common folk art among the Han people at that time—Yangge—was very popular in the modern Chaoshan area. During the Jiaqing and Daoguang periods (1805-1825), local theaters often performed dramas related to Water Margin, such as "The Attack on Daming Prefecture." Additionally, the costumes and face paint used in current Yingge troupes closely resemble theatrical styles, clearly showing the influence of drama.¶

Intangible Cultural Heritage

“The table below lists selected Yingge dance traditions that have been officially recognized as intangible cultural heritage. It shows the level of recognition, the year and batch of inscription, and the associated representative inheritors, reflecting the distribution of Yingge dance across different regions.”¶

Types

In this context, “types” of Yingge dance are classified primarily according to rhythm, tempo, and cudgel technique, focusing on differences in performance structure rather than regional or stylistic variation. Yingge dance is categorized according to rhythm and tempo into Slow-tempo Yingge, Medium-tempo Yingge, and Fast-tempo Yingge.¶

Slow-tempo Yingge

Performers hold a Yingge cudgel slightly longer than in other types, approximately 60 cm. The cudgel striking rhythm is usually coordinated with the sound of gongs and drums in sets of three or four movements. Each strike of the cudgel is accompanied by a specific action. This type of Yingge is mainly concentrated near Miancheng, Chaoyang District. Performers do not use face paint representing heroes such as Song Jiang or Shi Qian. Its style is simple and rustic and is considered the earliest form of Yingge.¶

Medium-tempo Yingge

The cudgel used in Medium-tempo Yingge is approximately 57 cm long. Its rhythm is faster than that of Slow-tempo Yingge, with strikes organized into sets of five, seven, eight, ten, eleven, or thirteen movements. Performers do not use the “Snake Dancer” (Shi Qian) face paint. The movements are primarily based on the “Da Zhan Ma” stance from Southern Fist martial arts.¶

The text above is adapted from the Wikipedia article “Yingge dance”, available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 licence.¶

Yingge dance is type of dance, according to the structured record cited below. This entry was generated automatically from that record and has not yet been reviewed by a person familiar with the tradition.¹¶

The source record links this tradition to 1 external register, which can be verified through the citation.¹¶