Rooster Dance

40.Rooster Dance

Nominating Unit: Deqing County, City of Zhaoqing

Deqing Rooster Dance is mainly distributed in and around Boyin Village, Wulong Township, Deqing County. Its origin allegedly came from the ancestors of Boyin Village who immigrated to this village in the early Ming Dynasty because their original habitat was unfertile. When they moved here, they found a rooster, and got inspired. They made a rooster out of bamboo strips and colored cloth and dance around the village in drum music. The village became prosperous ever since and the rooster has been worshipped as an animal of good luck. The tradition of rooster dance on the Spring Festival and other merry occasions was hence formed.(https://www.daowen.com)

Deqing Rooster Dance is a prop dance. The prop, a giant rooster, is made primarily with bamboo and colored cloth. It is roughly one meter long, 0.6 meter high and 0.7 meter wide. The rooster’s head and wings are moveable. The dancer operates the rooster with his torso in the rooster body, and his legs are ornamented as rooster legs. The dance is accompanied with eight-key gongs and drums. The dancer would mimic a rooster’s gestures and behaviors, vividly depicting a rooster’s crying, feeding, wing spreading, combing, protecting its young, and excitement. It has become a spiritual embodiment of local people’s praying for fortune and good luck, and is widely popular among the locals.

Deqing Rooster Dance has already been widely circulated within the county. During its transmission, there has been development into a six-rooster group dance from the originally just one rooster. There is even a twelve baby rooster group dance performed by children. The originating place, Wulong County was named “Homeland for Ethnic and Folk Art in Guangdong Province” by the Provincial Department of Culture. However, due to many reasons, the traditional music and some unique techniques are almost lost. Immediate excavation, studying and rescuing are called for.