Andai Dance 安代舞

In North China, there live the Chinese herdsmen(a man who looks after a herd of animals such as cattle or goats) -- the Mongolian ethnic minority. They love the grassland, love dancing and singing. The Mongolian people created a lot of dances and music, of which the most famous one is Andai Dance(安代舞āndàiwǔ).

Andai is also called "jumping white hawk". There was a legend about the origin of the Andai. It is said that once upon a time, there were a father and a daughter. The daughter was sick and stranded in a swamp. The father danced Andai that moved the God and saved his daughter.

In the past, women got depressed because of the restraint(rules or conditions that limit or restrict someone or something) in love and marriage. Then their families would invite Shaman to dance Andai. Singers and masses were also invited. Together with them were young men and women from nearby. No musical instruments accompanied Andai Dance, but there were fixed rhythm and libretto.

Some dance movements were composed impromptu, which were simple and standard. Led by Shaman, the masses would circle the singer and dance around her. In this way, they tried to console the patient. They sang such sentences as "Spread out your black hair, Ah, Andai!" "Your friends have all been here, Ah, Andai!" or "Whom are you missing? Speak it out and you will be fine!" With the speeding rhythm, people begin dancing wildly. The patient was therefore stimulated and then got besser.