Yan'an New Yangge Drama Research

Yan'an New Yangge Drama is a cultural phenomenon developed during the process of modern revolutionary literature and art in China.It has a far-reaching social impact and historical value.It is an artistic practice launched by those literature and art workers of Yan'an to meet the requirements clearly put forward by Mao Zedong in the“Speech at Yan'an Forum on literature and art work”in May of 1942.It could also be regarded as a brand new attempt of art vocational education in Yan'an.Yangge,Yangge Dancing and Yangge Drama could be regarded as the popular traditional folk song and dancing drama form in the North part of our country.Deeply rooted in the northern cultural background,Yan'an Yangge Drama evolved from the labor and fighting life of the Shanxi Gansu Ningxia Border Region frequently,and remained popular until the founding of P.R.China.The discussion between peers on song and dancing drama and developing route of opera in the circle of music and drama often involves the genre,cultural attribute of Yan'an New Yangge Drama and its relationship with opera,the three issues of which are intermingled and overlapped.The discussion was quite fierce and no agreement on the above-mentioned items has been reached.This article intends to start from the concept of traditional Yangge,Yangge Dancing and Yangge Drama,and continue to focus on the content,form,performance methods and service object of Yan'an New Yangge Drama and to further explore the historical and social reason of Yan'an Yangge Drama in order to establish its deserving status in music history.According to the definition of western opera,Yan'an New Yangge Drama does not belong to the national opera in essence,it is even not the so-called national song and dancing play.It could be categorized as the New Drama Species established on the basis of the traditional folk dance during the Yan'an period.The New Democratic Cultural Revolution is not the peasant cultural movement.but a cultural movement led by the Communist Party of China.Judging from this aspect,we can say that Yan'an New Yangge Drama is not simply the peasant art,but national,massive and revolutionary art with new democratic character.The significance of its development is to build the paving stone for the cultural construction of P.R.China and accumulate valuable experience.Yan'an New Yangge Drama is the outcome of revolutionary cultural development,it is also the glorious chapter of revolutionary literature and art.It helps us to recognize the considerable promotion and encouragement produced by the revolutionary culture and art.It helps us to clearly notice that we can never underestimate the great influence of artistic works guided by the right ideological theory.As a spiritual weapon,the great energy and enthusiasm that it released will encourage us to achieve better results and accomplishment.