Yang Jiadian - Representative Inheritor of  Yi Laohusheng Dance in Shuangbai County, Chuxiong

Yang Jiadian (1962 – ) is a national-level representative inheritor of the Yi Tiger Sheng Dance (彝族老虎笙舞), a national intangible cultural heritage of Xiaomaidichong Village, Falong Town (法脿镇小麦地冲村), Shuangbai County, Chuxiong Yi Autonomous Prefecture (双柏县, 楚雄彝族自治州), Yunnan Province (云南省). His artistic career spans the critical period during which this central Yunnan traditional dance moved from being endangered to systematic preservation. As the third-generation inheritor of his family, Yang has devoted over 50 years to safeguarding and innovating this art, bringing it from mountain sacrificial rituals to national cultural stages, earning the title “Guardian of the Tiger Totem in the Depths of Ailao Mountains”.

1. Family Background and Early Training

• Born into a Yi tiger-culture family, Yang was immersed in Tiger Sheng sacrificial rituals and dance traditions from childhood.

• After graduating from middle school in 1980, he formally apprenticed under his father, systematically learning the core techniques of Tiger Sheng Dance.

• In 1982, he joined the Xiaomaidichong Tiger Sheng team, training under folk masters Yang Xuechang (杨学昌) and Miao Fu (苗富).

• He mastered the full ritual from the 8th day of the first lunar month to the 15th, and independently performed the “Tiger Head” (虎首) role, using tiger-like vocalizations and animal-inspired movements to convey sacred spiritual significance.

• In 1994, he represented Shuangbai County at the Chengjiang International Nuo Opera and Nuo Culture Academic Seminar, introducing Tiger Sheng Dance to the international stage and beginning his professional artistic career.

2. Core Skills and Artistic Breakthroughs

a) Living Guardian of Primal Rituals

• Ritual Procedures: Strict adherence to the “Receiving Tiger Spirit → Welcoming Tiger → Sacrificing Tiger → Sending Tiger” (接虎神 — 迎虎 — 祭虎 — 送虎) nine-step process.

• During annual ceremonies on the 8th day of the first lunar month, he leads a 37-person team to complete face painting, rattan animal costumes, and long horn playing.

• In the “Mother Tiger Arrival” segment, left-foot first stepping, yin-yang alternating dance steps, and tiger-like vocalizations recreate the original Yi tiger totem worship.

• Dance Features: Focused on agricultural movements, including 16 segments such as plowing, harrowing, and hemp planting, embedding Yi daily life wisdom into the performance. In the “Single Beast Fury” segment, he innovated the seven-step tiger claw technique and tail-swinging dust effect, vividly portraying the power and wildness of beasts.

b) Innovator of Modern Narrative

• Expanded Tiger Sheng Dance beyond religious boundaries, creating new works like Songs of Yi Mountains (《彝山欢歌》) and Border Trade New Rhythms (《边贸新韵》).

• In Border Trade New Rhythms, he integrates modern tap dance with traditional beast dance, combining shoulder shakes with bamboo flute-electronic music fusion, depicting frontier trade prosperity. This performance won Third Prize for Choreography at the 2019 Chuxiong New Drama Festival.

• Introduced “Human-Beast Separation” technique: lead Bimo recites scriptures while dancers focus on choreography, enriching ritual and artistic layers.

3. Multi-Layered Transmission System

• Family Transmission: His son Yang Jianzhong (杨建中) and grandson continue as the sixth-generation inheritors, independently performing core rituals like Sacrificing the Tiger Spirit.

• Ritual Practice: Leads annual large-scale ceremonies, training 12 beast performers and 4 assistant Bimos, forming a stable team.

• Community Teaching: Established the Yang Jiadian Tiger Sheng Dance Workshop (杨家典老虎笙舞传习所) in Xiaomaidichong Village, using hearth-side teaching, training over 20 apprentices, two of whom can independently perform core pieces like Frenzy of the Beasts (《群兽狂舞》).

4. Cultural Promotion and Modern Innovation

a) National-Level Cultural Ambassador

• Official Recognition: In 2018, selected as a national-level representative inheritor; featured on CCTV Explore & Discover program (《探索・发现》), TikTok teaching videos exceeded 1 million views.

• Awards: Gold Award at 2006 Jiangxi International Nuo Culture Festival; participated in CCTV “Dancing with Tigers” recording in 2010; led team at 2019 Yunnan Ethnic Folk Arts Festival, winning Caiyun Silver Award.

b) Cultural Tourism Integration

• Festival Empowerment: Organizes Shuju Twelve Beasts Dance Cultural Festival during Yi Tiger Culture Festival, innovating cross-genre works like Yi-Han Harmony (《彝汉同辉》), attracting over 300,000 online viewers.

• Scenic Application: Designed Tiger Sheng Dance Immersive Experience Center at Zixi Mountain Scenic Area, enabling visitors to paint beast patterns, wear costumes, and participate in simple performances, serving over 20,000 visitors annually, increasing local income by 800 RMB per capita.

5. Heritage Protection and Policy Engagement

a) Systematic Preservation Projects

• Digital Archiving: Partnered with Yunnan Minzu University to create 3D digital archives of 20 core dance movements and developed a VR teaching system on Study Xi (学习强国).

• Play Revivals: Led restoration of endangered works like Dou Yi Xia Ke (《窦仪下科》) and Burning the Mill (《火烧磨房》), integrating modern stage technology.

b) Policy and Social Support

• Funding: Secured provincial heritage funds for workshop construction, equipment purchase, and monthly apprentice stipends (500 RMB).

• Mechanism Innovation: Established Huashan Tiger Sheng Propaganda Team, integrating Party policies into Bimo chants; produced Carrying the National Emblem into Yi Villages (《背着国徽进彝寨》), recognized by Yunnan Provincial Department of Culture.

6. Challenges and Innovative Solutions

Challenges:

• Talent gap: learning cycle 10–15 years, mastery of Bimo scriptures required; average apprentice age 42, only 2 under 30.

• Market limitations: high-end sacrificial events restricted; cultural products popular but low-profit.

Innovative Responses:

• Technology Empowerment: Collaborated with Huawei’s Digital Intangible Heritage project, developing VR teaching systems with over 1.5 million views.

• Cross-Genre Integration: Combined dance rhythms with modern music, releasing New Tiger Roar Rhythms (《虎啸新韵》); single Night Tales by the Hearth (《火塘夜话》) exceeded 3 million TikTok views.

• School Engagement: Weekend courses at Shuju Township Central Primary School using fun games + scenario acting, training over 120 students.

7. Cultural Value and Contemporary Significance

• Historical Research: Preserved Bimo scriptures and rituals provide living examples for studying Yi original religion and social structure.

• Cultural Cohesion: In multi-ethnic Shuangbai County, Tiger Sheng Dance fosters unity among Yi, Han, and Lisu communities, earning Yunnan Model Team for Ethnic Unity and Progress recognition.

• Educational Innovation: His “traditional skills + modern education” model has been promoted in 16 prefectures by the Yunnan Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism.

As Yang Jiadian says:

“Tiger Sheng Dance is not just jumping—it is the cultural DNA engraved in the bones of the Yi people.”

By balancing tradition and innovation, he has spent half a century bringing Yi Tiger Sheng Dance from mountain valleys to the international stage, exemplifying the diverse unity of Chinese civilization.