Huagudeng

Huagudeng (literally Flower Drum Lantern), imbued with the rich countryside flavor of the Huaihe River Valley, is popular in more than 20 nearby cities and counties of Anhui, Henan, Shandong and Jiangsu provinces. Having originated in the Huaihe River Valley, the Flower Drum Lantern is a comprehensive folk art form that combines dancing, singing, gong and drum beating, martial arts and acrobatics.The Flower Drum Lantern emerged during the Song Dynasty (960-1279) and became popular in the early Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), with its vigorous and racy style.

The Flower Drum Lantern is most distinct in Huainan, Fengtai, Bangbu in Anhui Province, the three centers of this art form, thdue to the geography of the Huaihe River. Since the Huaihe River is located to the south of the Yellow River and north of the Yangtze River, performances here are tinged with a touch of the boldness of the northern people, as well as the gentleness typical of people in southern China.The male player, called "the drum-shelf", somersaults vigorously through the performance. The actress, called "cymbidium", sings and dances with handkerchiefs, fans and umbrellas.

At night, they usually perform on the lantern-lit squares in the countryside; which is why it's called the "Flower Drum Lantern".Dancing, the major element of the Flower Drum Lantern consists of "Dachang", "Xiaochang" and "Pangu". Dachang is a group dance; Xiaochang is a narrative dance of two or three dancers; and Pangu shows a good combination of dancing, martial arts and technical skill. Xiaochang is the core part of the Flower Drum Lantern.

The Flower Drum Lantern features very rich dance movements -- to date, more than 500 kinds of steps have been established. The dance has a unique style, which is at once bold and unrestrained, sincere and exquisite. The dancers' rich postures, unique skills and joyous and thrilling gong and drum accompaniments all express strong local flavor and fascinating artistic charm.The dance moves mostly reflect work and daily life. Its songs come from the folk tunes of the people who live on the banks of the Huaihe River. The tunes are especially capable of expressing emotions -- either lively and beautiful, or aggrieved and depressed.

Accompanying musical instruments include a big gong, cymbals, a flower drum and a small gong. The main props for performances include an umbrella, folding fan, and handkerchief.The music is the soul of the performance. The drums, gongs and songs enjoy unique artistic value. Its style is the reflection of the folk's characters along the river: simple, vigorous, open-minded and optimistic.The Flower Drum Lantern contains wide and profound social implications, and is a rich and varied song and dance art that, with all its armor, boldness, humor and wit, embodies the straightforwardness and optimism of people living along the Huaihe River.

Whenever the Spring Festival arrives, the dancing teams of each village and rural area compete with each other in rushing off to dance in the temples and at the fairs. Sometimes there is one team, at times there are dozens of teams dancing there, which creates a grand gala with a strong taste of rustic folklore.