Tibetan folk dances mostly appear in the form of songs and dances. Because people wear long-sleeved "Chuba" (Tibetan robe) in their daily lives, the beauty of "clothing along the edge" is added to the dance; Devout religious psychology adds a lot of religious color to dance. In addition to the above-mentioned temple fair dance "Qiang Mu", typical dances include "Harmony", "Fruit and Sun", "Zhuo" and "Reba".
"Harmony" (meaning singing and dancing): Also called "Ye", commonly known as "Heizai", with "Batang Heizai" in Ganzi, Sichuan as the most typical dance form. Its dance style is similar to the ceremonial works in the Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes mural "A Passage to Zhang Yichao", and the images of several Han women who are good at dancing with long sleeves are similar, which shows the long history of cultural exchanges between China and Tibet. "Fruit and Sun" (meaning "a circle of singing and dancing"): popular in Xigaze, Shannan and other places in Tibet.
Participants form a big circle and move clockwise as the lead dancer sings and dances. "Zhuo" (meaning "dance"): commonly known as "Guo Zhuang", it is a form of song and dance that spreads in pastoral areas, semi-agricultural and semi-pastoral areas. Its dance name, melody and action style vary from region to region. Performers express their religious psychology through dancing. Reba: Reba means "wandering artist" and is also the title of its performance form.
"Trembling", "opening", "smooth", "left" and "winding" are the same characteristics of different Tibetan dances, or the five elements of Tibetan dances, which constitute its aesthetic concept different from other brother dances. The formation of these five elements is closely related to the historical conditions, social system, customs and beliefs, geographical environment, production methods and cultural traditions of the Tibetan people, and is an aesthetic standard that has been condensed among the people for a long time.
In addition to the main features mentioned above, Tibetan dance generally has the same basic laws as "three steps and one change", "step back first", "handstand turn" and "four steps turn". On the basis of this * * * same law, there are various changes, coupled with the operation of gestures, the rhythm of the waist and the difference of music, forming different dance styles.
Dancing in Shannan region of Tibet is characterized by strong working atmosphere, bright rhythm and steady footwork. "Dui Harmony" first spread in the Yarlung Zangbo River basin, and the circle dance from the majestic west of Shigatse to the whole territory of Ali gradually became popular in Lhasa. This is the earliest dance accompanied by a lyre. The evil spirits originated from ancient sacrifices. For thousands of years, the continuation of sacrificial activities has made a variety of "encouragements" passed down from generation to generation.
Traces of ancient Tibetan sacrificial activities and nomadic life. It is particularly worth mentioning that the drum used in "Great Drum Dance" in Simawangdui Township, Xigaze area, the so-called "Sima Zhuo", is obviously different from the drums in other areas. The drum shape is twice as big as other areas, with a long wooden handle, which is inserted obliquely at the back.
In addition to the folk dances mentioned above, the dances in the long-established "Tibetan Opera" are also worth mentioning. Tibetan opera is high-pitched and strong in dance. The "Blue Face Tibetan Opera" developed on the basis of the White Face Tibetan Opera is not only rich in content and wide in subject matter, but also inherits and retains the folk dance forms such as Buma, which existed in the Guge Dynasty. The folk square dance entered the stylized Tibetan opera, and at the same time quoted the folk music loved by the Tibetan people, which made the Tibetan opera spread among the Tibetan people for a long time.
In order to conform to the characteristics of Tibetan polytheism, people have created a programmed dance that uses various gods masks and contains a lot of Tibetan folk dance elements in the sacrificial ceremony. This kind of sacrificial dance was adopted by the later popular Tibetan Buddhism Yellow Sect, and it was called "Qiang Mu". Qiang Mu's dance is mostly a mixture of animal dance and musical instrument dance. There were few songs during the performance, and the atmosphere was solemn.
Every major religious festival, the Lama Temple will hold a "jumping god" activity. In the sound of suona, python, trombone and cymbals, performers wear masks, hold musical instruments or weapons, dress up as gods, and March around the field to kick off. Every dance has a certain religious content. Sometimes, they also perform Buddhist stories, such as "Give my life to feed the tiger" and "Dance of the immortal star" and "Dance of the crane", which show kindness and longevity.