Shaxi Crane Dance

Shaxi Crane Dance

Nominating Unit: Shaxi Town, City of Zhongshan

Shaxi Crane Dance was originated from Shenmingting Village, Shaxi Township of City of Zhongshan. This village is located in the water area of the Pearl River Delta, and has always been rich in fl oating water, fish, shrimps, clams and oysters. Therefore it attracts numerous flocks of write cranes to look for food and perching. The villagers view them as saint cranes and protect them carefully. Legend has it that in the Ming Dynasty, to memorize ancestors’ honoring moral and learning, the villagers composed a sacrifice crane dance to commemorate ancestors because “crane” and “learning”sounded the same in local dialect. This dance later evolved into a big folk dance for ceremonies and festival celebrations and has existed till today.

The main prop used in Shaxi Crane Dance is a white crane, which is made up of bamboo strips bound together. The crane is 1.3 meters tall and 1.6 meters long, with a wing span of 1.3 meters, covered with white cloth and white paper cut feathers. One dancer would get into the crane body and lift it up on his shoulders and operate it with both of his hands. Moreover, there is a clam and two carp props, operated by three young maids.

Shaxi Crane Dance is normally performed on the 1st, the 2nd, or the 3rd of January on the lunar calendar or other merry occasions, and is colloquially called “crane out”. Before the performance, there is uniformly a spectacular ceremonial parade, in which the white crane prop would lead the way, followed by animal figures such as a carp and a clam, together with ancient figures of scholars and army officers, and some flower baskets. The performance starts in the “crane out song” rich in local flavor. The white crane will be the main character, interacting with carps and clam. Its main movements include tiptoeing, flying onto the cliff, bodying turning and hurtling, combing body, cliff napping, double fish playing water, playing with clam, fish and clam playing with each other, startled crane catching fish, crane and clam fighting each other, crane and clam playing with each other, etc. The behaviors and gestures are blended together with impersonated animal dance. The crane’s smartness and agility in hunting for food and its harmonious coexistence with fish and clam in the end are depicted vividly, lively, and amusingly. The dance bears strong symbolic meaning and is very worth viewing.(https://www.daowen.com)

Shaxi Crane Dance mainly uses Cantonese Music for accompaniment. The most often used scores include “Yan Luo Ping Sha”, “De Sheng Ling”, “Da Kai Men”. The musical instruments used are also what can be normally found in Cantonese Music, except that to add to the atmosphere, giant gongs, giant drums, big and small cymbals are used in the introductory part.

Shaxi township features a rich and active collection of folk art types, among which crane dance is an important representation. In 2000, this township was named “Homeland for Ethnic and Folk Art in China” by the Ministry of Culture.

Under impact of market economy and the multi-polarization of modern cultures, Shaxi Crane Dance is faced with a lack of transmitters and is in jeopardy of extinction. Urgent rescuing and protective measures are needed now.