Phoenix Dance

46.Phoenix Dance

Nominating Unit: Yangshan County, City of Qingyuan

Hankeng Phoenix Dance, also called Dual Phoenix Dance, is mainly distributed in Hankeng Village, Dubu Township, Yangshan County, City of Qingyuan. According to an elderly artist, Deng Jie, Hankeng Phoenix Dance was originated from Huaiji, City of Zhaoqing, the birthplace of Deng’s family, where the phoenix dance tradition was popular in the years of the reign of Emperor Wanli in the Ming Dynasty. Deng Jie’s grandfather moved to Hankeng in the 11th year of the reign of Emperor Xianfeng in the Qing Dynasty (1861), and the phoenix dance was brought in. It is now over 140 years old. Legend has it that the phoenix dance was inspired by a pair of phoenixes perching on a buttonwood tree in Deng Jia Zhai Village a long, long time ago, which got enchanted by the flute playing of a cowboy and performed a dance. That year saw a timely wind and rain, followed by a good harvest of all crops. From then on, people began to view phoenix as a bird of good luck, and carry phoenix props made of green bamboo strips to visit each household to exorcise plague and evil, retain good luck and good fortune with the accompaniment of the music played by flutes, gongs, drums, trumpets, etc.(https://www.daowen.com)

Hankeng Phoenix Dance is centered on the prop. The neck, body, wings of the phoenix are tied together with green bamboo strips and wrapped with colored paper. The head is carved out of a piece of wood, with a fire-red cockscomb on top. The tail is made up of bent thin bamboo strips, and the feathers are made up of red and yellow cloth strips pasted on the body. The total length is 400 cm, and the wing spread is 180 cm. There is an opening in the abdomen, with moveable ropes, bamboo poles and skeleton fixed inside the body to control the phoenix’s head turning, mouth opening and closing, and wing spreading and contracting. During the performance, one dancer would get into the phoenix body, hold the bamboo pole and pull the ropes that control the phoenix’s head and mouth movements in his right hand, and controls the wings with his left hand. The dancing movements focus on the steps. The steps must be made firm, and the legs’ bending is led by foot movement. The body, waist and hand operation must all be flexible, coordinated and smooth, to bring phoenix’s elegance and grace to life.

The roles in Hankeng Phoenix Dance include a phoenix leader, a phoenix dancer, a flag lifter, and musicians. The phoenix leader would lead the colorful phoenixes onto the stage with a feathered box in hand. The phoenixes begin to dance under the rhythms from the musicians. Sometimes they would make long cries, sometimes they would spread wings and jump, and sometimes they would caress each other by crossing their necks. The dance’s accompaniment is percussion music, with trumpet playing the lead-in and interlude (to replace the cowboy’s flute). The whole scene features light and merry atmosphere, together with rich rural flavors. In recent years, Hankeng Phoenix Dance has become a main folk dance around the neighboring villages and townships in Yangshan County, with spiritual significance and unique cultural value.

With changes in people’s life styles and the impact of foreign cultures, Hankeng Phoenix Dance is losing its living space, and is faced with a lack of transmitters. Urgent protective measures are called for.