A Study on the Cultural Genes and Body Narratives of Shanxi Folk Dance from the Perspective of Yellow River Civilization
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Abstract
As the mother and core of Chinese civilization, the Yellow River civilization nurtured rich folk art forms through longterm agricultural production, ritual practice, and regional cultural integration. This study reviews current folk dance research and identifies gaps at the intersection of civilization history and body philosophy. A comprehensive research framework integrating morphological analysis, textual research, and field investigation is then constructed. Through morphological extraction, historical tracing, and oral narrative analysis of fifteen representative Shanxi folk dances, the study reveals the genetic connection between Shanxi folk dance and the Yellow River civilization from three dimensions: agricultural customs, totem beliefs, and survival philosophy. The findings show that the body language of Shanxi folk dance is not an isolated combination of movements, but an embodied expression of collective memory. Core rhythms such as twisting, stepping, and trembling are isomorphic with agricultural production rhythms, while props and ritual settings continue ancient symbolic and sympathetic-magic thinking. The study further discusses the contemporary transformation of these cultural genes in modern society.
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