The Yi Flower Drum Dance, called "Rebobi" in Yi language, is popular in Shuangbai County in the southern mountainous area of Chuxiong Yi Autonomous Prefecture and Xinping area of Eshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture. It is a performance dance, usually performed by the flower drum team in the village. The performers are all men. In Shuangbai County, flower drum teams are invited to dance during festivals and funerals. People say that if a person is happy in the world, he should also be happy after death, so flower drums are danced at funerals, but not at weddings. The origin of the Yi Flower Drum Dance According to textual research and survey results, the Yi Flower Drum Dance is most likely a form of Yi cultural art combined with the "Fengyang Flower Drum" in Anhui. The props and drums used by the two are almost the same, and the drums are mainly hung around the waist. In addition, judging from the Chinese lyrics and lantern tunes in the Yi flower drum dance, such as "Listen to the Fengyang flower drum", "Listen to the Yunnan drum", "Sing the lanterns are full and red like fire, sing the lanterns ugly and contain some", "The golden boy and the jade girl stand on both sides, a pair of white cranes are placed in front", "Master Lu Ban comes to peek at the beams", etc., they are all manifestations of the Yi flower drum dance absorbing Han culture. From the dance vocabulary characteristics of the Yi flower drum dance itself, it is mainly based on the "jumping music" movements of another folk dance of the Yi people, such as "beating flowers left and right", "stomping feet left and right and front and back", "turning over and tapping feet", "matching feet" and many other basic dance movements and vocabulary. Characteristics of Yi flower drum dance Yi flower drum dance is accompanied by percussion instruments, including large and small cymbals, large and small cymbals, and large and small gongs. The flower drum is oval, one foot and two inches long, with a red drum body, tied with a silk ribbon, and hung obliquely on the right shoulder. The performance form of the flower drum is that a master holds a wooden dragon head with pheasant feathers inserted on the dragon head, and ties a hydrangea with red silk on it as a conductor. Four people carry drums on their backs, which are hung horizontally on the left side of the waist. They hold a white towel in their left hands and beat the drums with hammers in their right hands. There is a certain procedure for beating the drums. Each set of movements has a head step and a back step. The order of movements and the changes in patterns are strictly regulated, and the master holding the dragon head directs with props in his hand. The style of the flower drum dance is vigorous, cheerful and bold, and the opening is clear. The dance bounces upwards on the beat, and the drum is hit once for each beat. The movement is characterized by flexible calves, and there are many difficult techniques, such as calves circling in the air. When performing the flower drum dance, because the whole dance is performed in bouncing, the dancers consume a lot of physical energy, so it is performed in sections, and a flower drum lyrics are sung before each dance. The tunes are divided into two types: playing field songs and funeral songs. The performance props used in the traditional Yi flower drum dance are generally a dragon head, four waist drums, a gong, a pair of large gongs, a pair of small cymbals, as well as drum hammers and towels. During the performance, the accompanists (usually 3 people) hold gongs, cymbals, and cymbals and stand in a horizontal line on the sidelines. The formation and position are generally not fixed. They beat the accompaniment outside the field and do not participate in the dance. The other five "dance" team members stand in the middle of the field. A master named "Dragon Head" leads the dance with a dragon head (also called Jing Chicken Tail) (Jing Chicken Tail is actually a wooden stick with a dragon head carved on the top, a Jing Chicken Tail inserted, and decorated with various colored ribbons. Some are also decorated with several small round mirrors on the ribbons.) The person holding the dragon head is the conductor of the drum team. The dance scenes and movements change according to the instructions of the "Dragon Head". The person holding the dragon head often holds the dragon head with his left hand and a towel with his right hand, and dances with both hands up and down alternately. Sometimes he holds the neck of the dragon head with his left hand as a fulcrum, and holds the tail of the dragon head with his right hand and dances up and down facing the left side. Many times, he holds the tail of the dragon head with both hands and dances up and down facing the left side. Many times, he holds the middle of the dragon head with both hands and dances in a figure-eight pattern on both sides of his body. Each of the other four people tied a flower drum with red cloth on their right shoulder and hung it to their left waist. They put a small round mirror on their chests, swung a towel with their left hands, beat it with drumsticks in their right hands, and danced with cymbals. From the props and performance forms used in the flower drum dance, it is not difficult to find the unique cultural and artistic characteristics and traditional cultural connotations of the Yi people. Take the dragon head engraved on the "dragon head" and the inserted chicken feathers, as well as the small round mirrors on the chest and dragon head of each drummer. On the surface, it seems to be a decoration, which is a manifestation of the Yi people's love for nature, love for beauty, and pursuit of beauty. However, these subtle ornaments all show the cultural beliefs of the ancient Yi people. The "dragon" is the embodiment of the Chinese nation, and the entire Chinese nation respects the "dragon". As a member of the Chinese nation, the Yi people are no exception. However, in the traditional culture of the Yi people, the dragon has a more special status and meaning. In the concept of the Yi people, the dragon is a kind of god and a mascot that can bless and bless mankind. Therefore, the Yi people have an annual traditional festival, the Dragon Festival. It can be seen that the "dragon head" held by the leader in the flower drum dance has its special cultural connotation. There is also the small round mirror. The Yi people believe in religion and believe in the existence of ghosts. In the traditional concept of the Yi people, the mirror has a special role in exorcising evil spirits. It is said that the Yi flower drum dance was originally used for sacrificial and funeral activities. It can be seen that the small round mirror on the chest of the drummer and the "dragon head" has a special intention and connotation. The entire Yi flower drum dance activity first uses cymbals, gongs, and cymbals as a prelude, and uses sonorous and pleasant accompaniment music to set off the atmosphere, stimulate enthusiasm, and inspire people. Then the drums are frequent, and the gongs, cymbals, and cymbals sound. The dancers on the field danced to the sonorous rhythm. The dance movements are very rich, especially the movements of the feet are varied and dazzling. Such as: pedaling, stopping, throwing, jumping, jumping; circling the flower, pedaling, turning, twisting the foot, etc. Another example is the empty rotation of the foot, the vertical step of the two feet, and the twisting of the foot in the air, which are more powerful, skillful, and difficult. It is amazing. At the same time, the waist, head and other parts sway and shake greatly, and the movements are clean, neat, rough and bold. It fully reflects the unique bravery, strength, boldness, openness, fortitude and generosity of the Yi people. Another feature of the performance of the Yi flower drum dance is the combination of "song" and "dance". But unlike other songs and dances, other songs and dances are accompanied by musical instruments or singing and dancing, while the flower drum dance is to sing a section and then stop dancing, and then stop singing again. There is no accompaniment when singing, but the dancers use drumsticks to beat the beat on the edge of the drum. The music scores are all flower lantern tunes, and the lyrics are clear. The content of the lyrics is determined according to the performance occasion, that is, festivals, succession, funerals, etc. The performance occasions are different, and the content of the lyrics is different. Of course, the tunes are also different. Most of the flower drum dances express the dancers' wishes, praises and thanks to the inviters. This reflects the smart, simple and kind character of the Yi people. For example, the lyrics of "Congratulations on the New House" go: "As soon as you enter the door, you can see the sky. There are Chu stone railings on both sides. The three-room main hall is shining with golden light. The windows and skylights on the four corners are square. Five stars are shining brightly on the big red poster. Master Lu Ban comes to glance at the beams. The lacquerers and painters draw colorful pictures. The walls are painted with eight-character patterns and there are archways. There are nine gold and silver tiles inlaid inside and ten lattice windows outside." The lyrics are neat, catchy, easy to remember, vivid and touching.