[Traveling Along Yangtze River in Hubei] Hand-waving Dance of Tujia Ethnic Group

The light Hand-waving Dance performance [Photo by Ren Tianyi]

Enshi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture in Hubei Province, China is home to 29 ethnic groups including Tujia, Miao and Dong, with most of its residents being gifted singers and dancers. These romantic and enthusiastic people live in an unsophisticated yet upright way, skilled at expressing emotions through dancing and singing. Among all the local forms of dance, the Hand-waving Dance is a popular cultural activity in the residential areas of the Tujia ethnic group in Enshi.

The Hand-waving Dance is divided into two sub-categories, namely "Big Hand-waving" and "Small Hand-waving". The Big Hand-waving performance is held every three to five years, lasting for seven to eight days, and is attended by tens of thousands of people. Every performance contains complex content related to military hunting and therefore requires the dancers to perform in formations. The Small Hand-waving performance is held every year in the villages of the Tujia ethnic group, featuring mainly farming-related content. During each performance which is highly improvised, the dancers form multiple circles, with one person leading the dance and the others dancing along.

This lively form of dance is easy to learn. Many simple movements in the Hand-waving Dance derive from the farming techniques such as transplanting, sowing, and harvesting, reflecting the industrious, unsophisticated yet upright spirits of the Tujia ethnic group and a unique, romantic style.

The Hand-waving Dance is the spiritual wealth passed down by the Tujia ethnic group from generation to generation. This dance form also functions in the local society as activities for, for example, sacrifice, entertainment, education and communication.