A Research For Shanxi Flok Dance:Wanrong Flower Drum As A Case Study

Shanxi Province is known as the homeland of folk dance. Local customs and landform folk of thousand years are fully represented in various forms of dance and kinds of drum sounds."Flower Drum", a treasure of folk art in Shanxi Province, has its unique geographical features and plain style. It is not only the representative of Shanxi folk dance and what’s more, it is an important part in the Chinese drum culture. Wanrong Flower drum in Shanxi province is considered to be a flaming flower with its flexible steps, the dizzying array, and the "the peace" shocked by the drum, which reflects the pleasure life and work bring to people.This thesis aims to explore the development of local folk dance. Taking Wanrong Flower Drum as a case study, it organizes and systematically analyzes Wanrong Flower Drum’s origin and evolution of dancing words in the development of history. This research comprehensively summarizes its representations, styles, and basic principles to investigate into its profound cultural values and humanities. Concrete ways of its transmission have been put forward to develop and protect Wanrong Flower Drum. Based on the present study, it is found out that Wanrong Flower Drum has a long history and abundant contents with great historical values and aesthetic essence.However, it has been developing in a slow speed with its old-fashioned performances. The author takes Wanrong Flower Drum as an example and adopts the perspective of the current situation of Shanxi folk dance in general as a seeking point to show that it is imminent to save the cultural heritage of Shanxi and problems exist in lack of successors of slow development in the aspect of abundant art resources.What on earth has led to this result? It needs the exploration of future dance professionals. How to inherit and develop is also an essential research subject for the present study. The author has proposed some practical methods for the development of Wanrong Flower Drum:transmission of higher education, which should form a set of professional teaching system; the preservation of intangible cultural heritage, which can enhance the reputation; integration with modern elements, which can satisfy the present aesthetic tastes. All these factors can be shown on stage to develop Wanrong Flower Drum in a real sense. The present research is expected to invoke dace professionals’emphasis and reflection on folk art’s development through the issue of Wanrang Flower Drum discussed at present.