Shoulder Pole Dance
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The Shoulder Pole Dance[1] (Chinese: 扁担舞), also known in the Zhuang language as Da Lu Lie ("打虏列"), is a traditional Chinese folk dance of the Zhuang ethnic group in China. It originated from the labor activity of pounding rice and evolved into a unique performance form using Bamboo poles to rhythmically strike benches or troughs. The dance portrays agricultural scenes such as transplanting rice seedlings, harvesting, threshing, and pounding grain.[2][3]
Origin
[edit]According to local legend, the dance traces back to a period of Zhuang and Miao migration. In one story from Zhangpi Village, Leishan County, during a difficult migration, a man started to beat his shoulder pole and sickle in the silence of the night, sparking others to join him in rhythm and dance. Over time, this evolved into a communal form of expression that passed down generations. Initially, the dance involved striking a wooden plank over a pounding trough, but due to the trough's heaviness, long benches later replaced it.[3]
Performance style
[edit]The costumes for the performance are the daily clothes worn by Zhuang women, with a flowered headscarf, a slanted-collared top, traditional trousers, and a chest pocket.The dance is performed in even-numbered groups (2, 4, 6, etc.) with performers standing on both sides of a bench, holding shoulder poles. They strike either the bench or each other's poles in synchronized rhythms, imitating various agricultural tasks. patterns include sequences such as "Planting Rice," "Fetching Water," and "Threshing." The rhythms range from 2/4 to 5/4 time, and sometimes are accompanied by bamboo tubes, drums, gongs, or cymbals. Some performances include four-part ensemble sections with diagonal crossing beats and elaborate transitions.[2]
Artistic significance
[edit]The shoulder pole dance is not only a kind of dance, but also an artistic expression of the Zhuang people's agricultural labor, natural environment and life emotions.It expresses a series of agricultural life rhythms such as sowing, labor, harvesting and celebration.[4]
The performance is often accompanied by singing. During festivals and celebrations, it is an important cultural activity in mountain village festivals.[3]
Zhuang opera is a traditional drama art of the Zhuang people, and the shoulder pole dance often appears as an opening dance or accompanying dance. Both are performed in Zhuang language and have a strong national cultural atmosphere. In some traditional Zhuang operas, the shoulder pole dance is a reproduction of folk labor, which makes the repertoire closer to life and enhances the viewing experience.[5]
Varieties
[edit]Mashan Shoulder Pole Dance
The shoulder pole dance in the Mashan County Zhuang area has developed particularly maturely, with rich movements and compact rhythm. It is not only a folk entertainment project but also has been on the national stage many times as a representative dance of Guangxi ethnic groups. In the 1980s, Mashan shoulder pole dance participated in the National Minority Sports Games and won the first prize. In 2003, it also appeared in the "Bagui Carnival Tour" of the Nanning International Folk Song Festival. Mashan artist Wei Wenyao has made great contributions to the innovation and dissemination of shoulder pole dance. He focuses on combining traditional playing methods with modern choreography, giving shoulder pole dance a new artistic vitality.[6][4]
Spread
[edit]The carrying pole dance was once widely popular in Du'an, Mashan County Debao County, Ningming County, Pingguo County and other places in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region[7]
In 2007, the Du'an Kangle Art Troupe went to Beijing as a representative team to participate in the countdown party for the 2008 Summer Olympics, performing the carrying pole dance and receiving warm applause from the audience. This move not only enhanced the spread of ethnic dance, but also demonstrated the unique charm of Zhuang culture.[7]
Outlook
[edit]With the development of the times and the shift of young people's interests, the shoulder pole dance once faced the risk of being lost. Today, with the promotion of the national intangible cultural heritage protection policy and the strengthening of local cultural awareness, a group of folk artists and cultural workers are committed to its excavation, sorting and innovative inheritance.[8][9]
References
[edit]- ^ "Peoples in Middle and Southeast China＿Virtual Science Museum of China". www.kepu.net.cn. Retrieved 2025-06-21.
- ^ a b "Have you ever seen a dance performed with a Shoulder Pole?" [用扁担跳的舞，你见过吗？]. www.sohu.com (in Chinese). Retrieved 2025-06-20.
- ^ a b c "Zhuang Shoulder Pole Dance" [壮族扁担舞]. China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (in Chinese). ihchina.cn. Retrieved 20 June 2025.
- ^ a b "The flower of folk dance blooms more and more brilliantly" [民间舞蹈之花越开越绚烂]. www.sohu.com (in Chinese). Retrieved 2025-06-20.
- ^ "Ethnological Museum" [民族博物馆]. www.kepu.net.cn (in Chinese). Retrieved 2025-06-20.
壮剧，也称壮戏，是在壮族丰富多彩的民间文学、音乐、舞蹈和杂耍技艺的基础上形成的舞台表演艺术，已有数百年的历史。"扁担舞"是典型的反映生产劳动的舞蹈。
[Zhuang opera, also known as Zhuang drama, is a stage performance art formed on the basis of the rich and colorful folk literature, music, dance and juggling skills of the Zhuang nationality, with a history of hundreds of years. "Carrying pole dance" is a typical dance reflecting production labor.] - ^ "Shoulder Pole Dance" [扁担舞]. m.minwang.com.cn (in Chinese). Mashan County People's Government, Nanning City, Guangxi. Retrieved 2025-06-20.
- ^ a b "It's amazing! Duan went directly to CCTV live broadcast room" [太牛了，都安直接上央视直播间]. www.sohu.com (in Chinese). Retrieved 2025-06-20.
我们都安的扁担舞曾经在上世纪五十年代代表广西进入中南海。又于07年参加了北京奥运会倒计时表演
[Our Du'an's shoulder pole dance once represented Guangxi in the Zhongnanhai in the 1950s. It also participated in the countdown performance for the Beijing Olympics in 2007.] - ^ Jiang, Xuelin. "Let students inherit farming culture" [让学生传承农耕文化]. www.gx.chinanews.com.cn (in Chinese). Retrieved 2025-06-20.
- ^ "The "intangible cultural heritage + research and study" model brings new youthful vitality to the pole dance" [“非遗+研学”模式让扁担舞焕发新的青春活力]. www.sohu.com (in Chinese). Retrieved 2025-06-20.