英歌，又称“鹰歌”、“鹦哥”、“唱英歌”或“秧歌”，是一种融舞蹈、南拳套路、戏曲演技于一体的民间广场舞蹈，表演气势豪壮，气氛浓烈，流传于广东、福建等地，由男子表演，有歌颂英雄的含义。 据说，英歌最为正宗的发源地在广东的普宁，相传已有三百多年的历史了。前不久，笔者慕名专程来到了广东普宁，一睹其真容，时到今日那震撼人心的英歌舞还在我的脑海里舞动着呢，久久不能忘却。 英歌在普宁被认为是扬正压邪、吉祥平安的象征，深受群众喜爱和推崇，具有广泛的群众基础和社会基础。普宁英歌起源于人民群众劳动之余喜习武，借以消除疲劳、健身壮体，后又在习武的基础上，根据宋朝梁山泊英雄攻打大名府的故事创编了“唱英歌”，后代代相传，发展为南方汉民族优秀民间传统秧歌舞蹈形式。 在潮汕传统民俗里，英歌具有驱鬼逐疫、鼓舞士气、震慑敌人之说，而以其中“驱鬼逐疫”尤为突出。有研究英歌的学者认为这是古代傩舞的遗存。英歌演员配合舞蹈动作发出的叫声，尖厉有力，胜似猛兽发出的吼叫，以此达到驱鬼逐疫的目的。每次活动中，也总以英歌为先锋队伍，伴随其动作吼叫，甚为震撼！ 普宁英歌是一种壮美阳刚的汉族男性群体舞蹈，表演者勾画风格独特的脸谱，按梁山泊英雄形象造型，着武士服，紧身短打，手执特制双短棒叩击起舞，并配以锣鼓、螺号节奏。表演时队列图形变化丰富，有“双龙出海”“猛虎下山”“麦穗花”“田螺圈”等样式，动作套式亦五花八门，有“布田”“洗街”“旋槌”“槌花”等形态各异的舞姿动态，形成特有的动律，场面恢宏，气势磅礴。普宁英歌表演风格威猛、雄浑、粗犷、豪迈，体现了中华民族果敢、坚强、团结战斗、勇往直前的可贵品格和精神风貌。 在普宁期间，我了解到英歌原是边唱边舞，故名“唱英歌”。一老艺人向我介绍说，由于舞蹈节奏强烈，要唱又要跳，因而这“唱”的部分也就逐渐被弃，为当地特有的锣鼓所代替，沿袭至今。锣鼓节奏既简单又热烈，为增添气氛，还在音响上加进螺号，使锣鼓节奏更为快速，鲜明、热烈、雄壮，伴着有力的动作，更显得气势磅礴。 英歌的表演形式，全班分为前部分、中间部分、后部分。前部分是唱英雄，它是全班的主要部分。表演道具为短棒和小鼓，鼓旁有弓，可以单手持拿。表演人数大体为16～24人，也有增至32或36人，最多可至108人。中间部分是化装拉弦唱戏，节目有《洗佛》《牵猪 》《拖车》《抛网》《双摇橹》《桃花过渡》等，其节目可视队伍人数而增删，但节目不能少于三个。后部分为“打布马”。由一身穿清朝服饰，头戴红缨帽、挂上鼻须、手执双锏、腰装一头布马像骑马姿态的“老爹”与一和尚装扮、手持长棍者对打。后来还加进若干武术人员作徒手、刀、剑、棍等单打、对打的武术表演。最后以“老爹”被打败狼狈逃走，作为英歌整个活动过程的结尾。 “打布马”是以本地故事发展而成的一个艺术程式，虽与宋朝梁山英雄大闹大名府的时代背景不符，但根据梁山英雄乔装进城这一情节巧妙地连接起来，并把它编入英歌后部分，使英歌的整个活动更加完善。 英歌目前在普宁为群众所喜闻乐见，基本上村村有英歌队，实力较强、水平较高的就有160支，仅泥沟村就有6支英歌队。 普宁英歌艺术的杰出的传承人、泥沟英歌总教练张伯琪时刻关心普宁英歌的发展，经常创新改编英歌舞的表演形式，丰富充实英歌舞的表演内容，同时还打破了“传内不传外、传男不传女”的束缚，并建立了不少“女子英歌队”和“少年英歌队”，给这一广东传统的民间艺术奇葩更增添了无限情趣。每逢佳节、喜庆日子，村村少不了英歌这一活动项目，英歌锣鼓响遍城镇村寨，英歌所到之处，村民闻声而至，扶老携幼，围得水泄不通，整齐的踏步声、扣棒声、锣鼓声、喝叫声，声声催人急，观者的欢呼喝彩声把热烈场面推向高潮。 普宁英歌突出的精神价值、社会价值、艺术价值得到有关专家的重视，在民间还获得了“北有安塞腰鼓，南有普宁英歌”的美誉。普宁也因此被评为“广东省英歌文化艺术之乡”，普宁英歌被列入第一批国家级非物质文化遗产名录加以重点保护。 Yingko Dance in Guangdong Province By Liang Zi It is said that Yingko dance, a rural folk dance popular in Guangdong and Fujian provinces, is just another variation on Yangko, an extremely popular rural folk dance in northern China. The similarity in the names does not mean the two are actually like each other. Yingko dance in Guangdong and Fujian provinces is a fascinating mix of dance, southern kongfu and theater performance. Moreover, Yingko dance is traditionally performed by a team of men. It is said that the Yingko tradition in the south goes back to about 300 years ago and originated in Puning, a rural area of Guangdong Province. It started as a kongfu practice in villages. Something quite dramatic was added to the sequence of kongfu movements: a story that relates how outlaws of the marshes in the Song Dynasty (960-1279) besieged a city. The dance gradually evolved from one generation of dancers to another and absorbed local folk arts. In rural areas, the dance was developed and staged during festivals mainly for exorcising ghosts and plagues, deterring invaders and encouraging soldiers. In particular, the dance was designed to exorcise ghosts and plagues. The dancers screamed like ferocious animals to scare evils and ghosts. Yingko dancers are usually the vanguards of rural parades. In a typical Yingko dance, dancers are dressed like the outlaws in the legend of the Song Dynasty. Every dancer has two specially made short sticks in the hands and each has a drum. As they dance, they change the formation in various ways. They not only have special formations but also special movements with the sticks. The team dance features power, vigor, ferocity, unity, and battle spirit. The original form of the Yingko had singing. Performers danced and sang. But singing part was later dropped as dancers thought it too difficult to sing while dancing to such powerful movements.
A complete Yingko performance is like a dramatized story. A team is usually composed of 16 to 24 men. A super large team may have 108 performers. A team is usually divided into three groups: the front group, the central group and the back group. The front group is the major group. With drums, they dance. The central group performs short dramas. Players are all dressed up. The group can put up as many shows as possible and the minimum number is three. The last group stages a kongfu show. It is often called “Battling the Cloth Horse”. A man dressed like a government official of the Qing Dynasty wears a cloth horse around his waist as if he were riding a horse. The government official fights a man that dressed like a monk with a long stick. The battle usually ends with the government official beaten and driven away. Some teams have more complicated kongfu shows. Different villages feature different styles of Yingko dance. Some display steady steps and stick movements. Some exhibit more exaggerating and dramatic steps and hand movements. Yet some show fancy choreographic work and display more jumping and kicking movements. A village team even shows some slow kongfu fist movements. Yingko is extremely popular in rural areas of Puning. Every village has at least a team. Some villages have as many as six. A survey shows that, of the hundreds of teams across Puning, 160 are very good. During traditional festivals and celebrations, Yingko teams are a must across villages in Puning. The folk art is on the first list of state intangible cultural heritage.
英歌，又称“鹰歌”、“鹦哥”、“唱英歌”或“秧歌”，是一种融舞蹈、南拳套路、戏曲演技于一体的民间广场舞蹈，表演气势豪壮，气氛浓烈，流传于广东、福建等地，由男子表演，有歌颂英雄的含义。 据说，英歌最为正宗的发源地在广东的普宁，相传已有三百多年的历史了。前不久，笔者慕名专程来到了广东普宁，一睹其真容，时到今日那震撼人心的英歌舞还在我的脑海里舞动着呢，久久不能忘却。 英歌在普宁被认为是扬正压邪、吉祥平安的象征，深受群众喜爱和推崇，具有广泛的群众基础和社会基础。普宁英歌起源于人民群众劳动之余喜习武，借以消除疲劳、健身壮体，后又在习武的基础上，根据宋朝梁山泊英雄攻打大名府的故事创编了“唱英歌”，后代代相传，发展为南方汉民族优秀民间传统秧歌舞蹈形式。 在潮汕传统民俗里，英歌具有驱鬼逐疫、鼓舞士气、震慑敌人之说，而以其中“驱鬼逐疫”尤为突出。有研究英歌的学者认为这是古代傩舞的遗存。英歌演员配合舞蹈动作发出的叫声，尖厉有力，胜似猛兽发出的吼叫，以此达到驱鬼逐疫的目的。每次活动中，也总以英歌为先锋队伍，伴随其动作吼叫，甚为震撼！ 普宁英歌是一种壮美阳刚的汉族男性群体舞蹈，表演者勾画风格独特的脸谱，按梁山泊英雄形象造型，着武士服，紧身短打，手执特制双短棒叩击起舞，并配以锣鼓、螺号节奏。表演时队列图形变化丰富，有“双龙出海”“猛虎下山”“麦穗花”“田螺圈”等样式，动作套式亦五花八门，有“布田”“洗街”“旋槌”“槌花”等形态各异的舞姿动态，形成特有的动律，场面恢宏，气势磅礴。普宁英歌表演风格威猛、雄浑、粗犷、豪迈，体现了中华民族果敢、坚强、团结战斗、勇往直前的可贵品格和精神风貌。 在普宁期间，我了解到英歌原是边唱边舞，故名“唱英歌”。一老艺人向我介绍说，由于舞蹈节奏强烈，要唱又要跳，因而这“唱”的部分也就逐渐被弃，为当地特有的锣鼓所代替，沿袭至今。锣鼓节奏既简单又热烈，为增添气氛，还在音响上加进螺号，使锣鼓节奏更为快速，鲜明、热烈、雄壮，伴着有力的动作，更显得气势磅礴。 英歌的表演形式，全班分为前部分、中间部分、后部分。前部分是唱英雄，它是全班的主要部分。表演道具为短棒和小鼓，鼓旁有弓，可以单手持拿。表演人数大体为16～24人，也有增至32或36人，最多可至108人。中间部分是化装拉弦唱戏，节目有《洗佛》《牵猪 》《拖车》《抛网》《双摇橹》《桃花过渡》等，其节目可视队伍人数而增删，但节目不能少于三个。后部分为“打布马”。由一身穿清朝服饰，头戴红缨帽、挂上鼻须、手执双锏、腰装一头布马像骑马姿态的“老爹”与一和尚装扮、手持长棍者对打。后来还加进若干武术人员作徒手、刀、剑、棍等单打、对打的武术表演。最后以“老爹”被打败狼狈逃走，作为英歌整个活动过程的结尾。 “打布马”是以本地故事发展而成的一个艺术程式，虽与宋朝梁山英雄大闹大名府的时代背景不符，但根据梁山英雄乔装进城这一情节巧妙地连接起来，并把它编入英歌后部分，使英歌的整个活动更加完善。 英歌目前在普宁为群众所喜闻乐见，基本上村村有英歌队，实力较强、水平较高的就有160支，仅泥沟村就有6支英歌队。 普宁英歌艺术的杰出的传承人、泥沟英歌总教练张伯琪时刻关心普宁英歌的发展，经常创新改编英歌舞的表演形式，丰富充实英歌舞的表演内容，同时还打破了“传内不传外、传男不传女”的束缚，并建立了不少“女子英歌队”和“少年英歌队”，给这一广东传统的民间艺术奇葩更增添了无限情趣。每逢佳节、喜庆日子，村村少不了英歌这一活动项目，英歌锣鼓响遍城镇村寨，英歌所到之处，村民闻声而至，扶老携幼，围得水泄不通，整齐的踏步声、扣棒声、锣鼓声、喝叫声，声声催人急，观者的欢呼喝彩声把热烈场面推向高潮。 普宁英歌突出的精神价值、社会价值、艺术价值得到有关专家的重视，在民间还获得了“北有安塞腰鼓，南有普宁英歌”的美誉。普宁也因此被评为“广东省英歌文化艺术之乡”，普宁英歌被列入第一批国家级非物质文化遗产名录加以重点保护。 Yingko Dance in Guangdong Province By Liang Zi It is said that Yingko dance, a rural folk dance popular in Guangdong and Fujian provinces, is just another variation on Yangko, an extremely popular rural folk dance in northern China. The similarity in the names does not mean the two are actually like each other. Yingko dance in Guangdong and Fujian provinces is a fascinating mix of dance, southern kongfu and theater performance. Moreover, Yingko dance is traditionally performed by a team of men. It is said that the Yingko tradition in the south goes back to about 300 years ago and originated in Puning, a rural area of Guangdong Province. It started as a kongfu practice in villages. Something quite dramatic was added to the sequence of kongfu movements: a story that relates how outlaws of the marshes in the Song Dynasty (960-1279) besieged a city. The dance gradually evolved from one generation of dancers to another and absorbed local folk arts. In rural areas, the dance was developed and staged during festivals mainly for exorcising ghosts and plagues, deterring invaders and encouraging soldiers. In particular, the dance was designed to exorcise ghosts and plagues. The dancers screamed like ferocious animals to scare evils and ghosts. Yingko dancers are usually the vanguards of rural parades. In a typical Yingko dance, dancers are dressed like the outlaws in the legend of the Song Dynasty. Every dancer has two specially made short sticks in the hands and each has a drum. As they dance, they change the formation in various ways. They not only have special formations but also special movements with the sticks. The team dance features power, vigor, ferocity, unity, and battle spirit. The original form of the Yingko had singing. Performers danced and sang. But singing part was later dropped as dancers thought it too difficult to sing while dancing to such powerful movements.
A complete Yingko performance is like a dramatized story. A team is usually composed of 16 to 24 men. A super large team may have 108 performers. A team is usually divided into three groups: the front group, the central group and the back group. The front group is the major group. With drums, they dance. The central group performs short dramas. Players are all dressed up. The group can put up as many shows as possible and the minimum number is three. The last group stages a kongfu show. It is often called “Battling the Cloth Horse”. A man dressed like a government official of the Qing Dynasty wears a cloth horse around his waist as if he were riding a horse. The government official fights a man that dressed like a monk with a long stick. The battle usually ends with the government official beaten and driven away. Some teams have more complicated kongfu shows. Different villages feature different styles of Yingko dance. Some display steady steps and stick movements. Some exhibit more exaggerating and dramatic steps and hand movements. Yet some show fancy choreographic work and display more jumping and kicking movements. A village team even shows some slow kongfu fist movements. Yingko is extremely popular in rural areas of Puning. Every village has at least a team. Some villages have as many as six. A survey shows that, of the hundreds of teams across Puning, 160 are very good. During traditional festivals and celebrations, Yingko teams are a must across villages in Puning. The folk art is on the first list of state intangible cultural heritage.