《九莲灯》又名《对花灯》,是流传在镇平县的一种比较优秀的民间舞蹈。关于《九莲灯》的起源据说与明末清初的“白莲教”有关。20世纪40年代以前,跳九莲灯的演员都是由男子扮演。男扮女装,仙女打扮。有时上身穿红大襟布衫,下穿蓝裤子,头上饰古装女子发式;有时男子打扮头系白毛巾,身挂铜吵铃,走起来一片丁当响。莲花灯是用白纸糊成,上边喷洒红颜色,没有弦乐伴奏,只有打击乐和唢呐伴奏。所对画面主要有“二龙戏珠”、“蛇脱皮”、“长城”、“八仙饮酒”、“刘海戏蟾”、“船”、“桥”、“鹊天桥”、“大枣山”、“金香炉”、“金铰剪”、“七星勺”、“石牌坊”、“伞”、“宝塔山”、“弓”、“倒卷帘”、“银花”、“妇女迭布”、“龙掉挂”、“凤凰寻窝”、“芭蕉扇”、“黄河”、“琉璃井”、“大雁飞”等,主要字面有:“十”、“土”、“王”、“大”、“天”、“夫”等30多种。
20世纪五六十年代,演员都由女子扮演了。在音乐的伴奏上,除原来的打击乐和唢呐外,加上了戏曲上用的大弦。内容上更加丰富,画面有:“照妖镜”、“木匠解木”、“凤凰双展翅”、“梯田”、“葵花”、“飞机”、“水渠”等50多个画面,字面有“元旦”、“三八”、“五一”、“七一”、“国庆”、“天安门”、“日”、“月”、“丰”、“田”等30多个。
全舞共分四个部分:下凡—观灯—对花灯—留恋人间。由九个仙女每人各持四盏莲花灯,摆画面、变队形,利用莲花灯巧对画面。
该舞于1957年参加了河南省第三届民间音乐舞蹈汇演,荣获一等奖。多年来,屡次在中央、省地、文化主管部门举办的民族民间舞蹈汇演中获奖。2009年被列入河南省第二批省级非物质文化遗产项目名录。
Nine-lotus Lamp
In the very beginning, Nine-lotus Lamp is a religious ceremony held by Taoist priests. Later, it is developed into a folk artistic activity which gets rid of bad things of feudal dross, absorb democratic essence so that it becomes an excellent folk dance. This dance is relaxed, vivacious, graceful and lyric. It reflects joyous emotion of the young girls in Lantern Festival when the dance is like a fluttering fired Long with creative spinning skills and crossing formation. The dance learns playing manners from Puxian Drama and the music is adapted from local folk songs and Puxian Drama tunes, thus the dance Nine Gates Lights is full of thick folk flavor.
Nine-lotus Lamp develops from the story of eight Gods offer birthday felicitations to the highest Goddess. It has very strict standards in lanterns, dressings, gestures, dance movements. From 1949, this dance made big innovations in content and play forms, such as there is no district on the number of players any more; players make up themselves, wear colorful coats and trousers; the content of libretto should make up with the current affairs and so on. Nine-lotus Lamp develops from the religious activity Chenghuang God Go Outside in Tomb-sweeping Day in ancient times. Nowadays, it has been recognized into a mass playing group accompanying with lion lanterns, waist drum, colorful boat and other forms.