Wan Zhengwen:Champion of the Miao Wooden Drum Dance

By+staff+reporter+JIAO+FENG

THE Wooden Drum Dance is tradition- ally a ritualistic dance performed during ceremonies to honor the Miao peoples ancestors endeavors to cultivate new land and build a better life. In the past the dance was only performed once every 13 years during a solemn ancestor worship festival. But today， it has become popularized among the Miao people as a fun way to keep fit.

Fanpai is a rural Miao community about 26 kilometers southeast of Taijiang County town. It enjoys convenient transport links and has a population of over 1，800. Situated in a valley surrounded by mountains and forests， it has a spectacular view of endless peaks and knolls. The mountain to the east of the village is where the ancestor worship ritual is staged.

“Oriental Disco”

As I entered the village the scene in front of me seemed like a snapshot from history： A crystal clear brook flows through the village. Two old Windand-Rain Bridges （covered bridge）， their stone seats worn smooth as jade and covered in moss， are havens for people to rest and reflect. Rows of stilted wooden houses are aligned up the slopes. Wan Zhengwen was born and raised in one of those houses.

No trip to Fanpai Village would be complete without seeing the singing and dancing shows there. Performance art is the essence of the Miao culture， and the village enjoys a good reputation in this respect and has been named among the “Chinese Folk Art Towns.”

Dances in Fanpai are normally accompanied by the lusheng （a musical instrument with multiple bamboo pipes）， mangtong （a single-bamboo free reed wind instrument） and wooden drums. Among various dances， the Wooden Drum Dance is the most popular among both performers and audiences.

Wooden Drum Dance shows are usually held in the village square. The dance opens with an intense， well-arranged and energetic drumbeat to which young men and women， wearing gorgeous Miao costumes， swing and sway. The dance features powerful， wild and primitive movements and an imposing style， reflecting the indomitable will and tenacious life force of the Miao people in this mountainous area. It is hard for people today to comprehend the fact that such a grand art form was created by Miao ancestors who were just ordinary farmers.

According to Wan， the Wooden Drum Dance was once popular in many Miao villages in Taijiang County. However， because of some traditional rules on when the dance could be performed， it failed to be handed down from older generations in most villages. In 1986， the Fanpai Wooden Drum Dance was performed at the third National Traditional Ethnic Minorities Sports Games and won first prize. Since then its reputation has skyrocketed.endprint

In 1989， Wan went to the U.S. to participate in a festival celebrating four cultures – China， the Soviet Union， Japan and Germany – held on the occasion of Washington States centennial. His performance of the Wooden Drum Dance won thunderous ap-plause from the audience. During the festival， many foreign friends expressed an interest in learning the dance from Wan. They called it an “oriental disco.”“I didnt know what a disco was back then， and I didnt know what disco dancing looked like. When I later saw some young people dancing at a disco， I thought， my Wooden Drum Dance is much better！” chuckled Wan.

From Act of Worship to Popular Entertainment

Before the 1980s， the Wooden Drum Dance in Fanpai Village was performed every seven years （in other regions it was performed every 13 years） during the ancestor worship ritual. After the ritual the sacred drum would be packed away for safekeeping. From the end of one rite to the beginning of the next， no one was allowed to beat the drum or perform the dance.

These restrictions meant that passing on the skills of the Wooden Drum Dance was not easy. First， because it was only performed every seven years， the dance couldnt be taught at any time in everyday life. Second， during the dance， performers were not allowed to talk， so if people truly wanted to learn， they had to do so by observing. They had to imitate the movements and remember the rhythm of the drumbeat. The most difficult thing was learning how to play the drums， as the beat features many changes in rhythm and pitch. Only those who had musical talent and paid close attention would finally master the skill. This learning method has made it difficult for the Wooden Drum Dance to be passed on to future generations– but not impossible.

“Under the influence of my older relatives， I came to enjoy singing and dancing as a child. When I saw people dancing， I would watch carefully and try to remember every movement I saw. I would practice those movements by myself and often ask my parents for help if I had questions. My village was very poor then； everyone was busy farming and working and few activities were held during minor holidays. So I had limited opportunities to learn the dance and really looked forward to every grand festival，” Wan recalled.

When Wan was seven or eight years old， his talent was spotted by a senior drummer in the village. The teacher taught Wan the finer points about dancing， drumming and playing the lusheng. As China prospered under the reform and opening-up policies， the lives of villagers saw much improvement. People had more time to celebrate festivals with singing and dancing. The older generation started to teach the younger generation about traditional arts and culture. Wan continued to study with the senior dancers of the village and kept up his independent practicing， quickly mastering the skills of the Wooden Drum Dance.endprint

In 1982， Wans passion for the traditional dance had a firm hold on his life. Together with over 10 friends who shared the same ambitions， Wan formed and led a Wooden Drum Dance troupe. The dance was no longer performed every seven years. New rules allowed it to become an integral part of many important festivals.

Sharing the Miao Legacy with the World

Wan has led the Fanpai Wooden Drum Dance troupe to perform at numerous events outside his village. After winning first prize at the 1986 National Traditional Ethnic Minorities Sports Games， the troupe was invited to perform in Xian， Beijing， Guangxi， Shenzhen， Shanghai， and Hong Kong， where Wan earned the reputation as a “dancing king.”

Wan is a versatile artist. He has mastered the drumbeats that accompany the dance and he has his own distinctive understanding of it. Wan not only knows all the movements of the dance， he also fully comprehends its cultural and historical connotations. His postures are elegant， and his movements vigorous. In addition， he knows many traditional love songs of the Miao ethnic group.

The Wooden Drum Dance is a treasure of the Miao culture. Wan is always thinking about ways to preserve it and is proactive in this regard. From 1991 to 1993， Wan tutored residents of the Miao community at the Red Maple Lake in Guiyang， Guizhou Province， on various Miao dances， including the Wooden Drum Dance. Wan also takes every opportunity in his home village to teach young people about the dance.

In order to better preserve and pass on the Wooden Drum Dance of Fanpai Village， the government of Taijiang County has sponsored performances and launched classes in this performance art at vocational high schools. Often invited to instruct workshops， Wan happily accepts such offers and tries his best to pass on the dance to younger generations.

Today， Wan is still the head and chief instructor of the Fanpai Village Wooden Drum Dance troupe. He also has a regular teaching position at his villages elementary school. In the past the wooden drum was reserved for playing only at grand ceremonies because it was so cherished. Now， Wan has transformed tradition and brought the drum to each of his classes， hoping to introduce the fascination of the Wooden Drum Dance to a new generation.endprint