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Miao or Hmong Dance

Miao or Hmong Dance

The Miao, or Hmong, is China’s fifth largest ethnic group, and one of the most ancient. Before the Qin Dynasty, the Miao lived near the middle reaches of the Yangtze River. Today the group is mostly found in central and southwest China. Through the centuries, the Miao diversified further into over one hundred groups, each with its own unique customs, traditional dress, and unique dance style. The Miao, for example, have more than ten different drum dance styles alone, including one that is performed in water.

Embroidered costumes and elaborate silver jewelry feature prominently in Hmong ethnic dances. In Miao culture, silver ornaments not only equal high social status, symbolizing prosperity and happiness, they are also believed to possess the power of warding off evil.

Miao women drape themselves in ornate silver headdresses, necklaces, and bracelets. They are covered—literally from head to toe—with bells and charms that swing and jingle with the slightest motion. Dancers move to accompanying drumbeats, and the strong sense of rhythm increases the speed and strength of the dancing, creating a jubilant mood. This melding of movement and melody is the hallmark of Miao dance, and the jingling jewelry creates a ringing that is infectiously jolly.

The Miao consider big, heavy, and copious jewelry to be a display of the clan’s economic status and esteem. And so Miao dances use movements that fully express the abundance of the jewelry by maximizing the jingling sounds it produces.

Large quantities of heavy silver can weigh down a person, and Miao dance styles have adapted accordingly. Free-swinging hands and hips are a common theme, as is lifting the upper legs first in order to move the lower leg. Other common moves incorporate spinning, clapping, crossing the hands and feet, swaying the head and hips, and small jump-kicks.

Typical dance combinations repeat and swap the main movements. Extensive and fast-paced dancing causes the ladies’ pleated skirts to unfurl into different shapes. Each dance combination is filled with the bubbly energy characteristic of Miao dance.

Miao Ethnic Clothing

With hundreds of styles in a range of brilliant colors, Miao ethnic clothing is one of the gems of traditional Chinese fashion.

The Miao, or Hmong, ethnicity has a long history that dates back to the Qin Dynasty, around the third century B.C.E. Miao ladies dress in gorgeous, lavish colors with strong contrasts and intense hues. Red, black, white, yellow, and blue are favorites. Various types of embroidered designs are matched with numerous dazzling head ornaments, necklaces and neckbands. Bracelets and other silver accessories complete the very distinguished Miao outfit.

Miao ethnic attire is distinguished by the wearer’s age and region of origin. The women’s full dress often weighs many pounds. A typical Hmong outfit consists of a blouse with a wide collar and narrow sleeves worn over a pleated skirt.

Miao skirts have 30 to 40 layers. They are decorated with bright brocades, detailed embroidery, and fine cross-stitch work. All undergo batik dyeing, which involves applying wax to the cloth in high temperatures to produce designs—plants and animals are regular motifs of choice.

Often, these precious outfits are passed down through many generations. In making their costumes, young Miao girls personally do everything—weaving the fabric, stitching the designs, and embroidering the flowered waistband and stomacher by hand, a process which can usually take one to two years.

Probably the most outstanding feature of Hmong attire is the abundance of silver accessories. Neckbands can have as many as seven rings and weigh up to five pounds. In Hmong culture, silver represents family status, symbolizes prosperity and good fortune, and is believed to have the power to exorcise evil spirits.

Traditional Miao parents begin collecting silver jewelry for their daughters at birth and continue until they are married. From childhood, Miao girls also wear big silver locks over their bosoms for good luck and protection; they do not remove these until marriage.

The embroidery on Miao costumes and their signature silver accessories provide encyclopedic documentation of Miao history. The Hmong traditionally did not have a written script. Instead, they recorded their stories on their garments, including legends about their origin and details of worship practices.

Source: shenyunperformingarts