An Interpretation of the Artistic Characteristics of Zuoquan Xiaohua Xi, a Representative Folk Dance in Shanxi Province, China

Zuoquan Xiaohua Xi is one of the representative folk yangge in Shanxi Province. It is a performance folk dance. The characteristics of Zuoquan Xiaohua Xi can be summarized as one small, two flowers and three plays. By small, mean that the performers are mostly young and lively actors, the scripts are short and sharp, and the rhythm is brisk; the so-called flowers refer to the graceful postures of the dancers, who dance gracefully with colorful fans in their hands. During the performance, the stage seems to be in full bloom, full of visual beauty; The so-called drama refers to a complete plot and vivid and humorous dialogues, which can not only allow the audience to appreciate the charm of art, but also feel the beauty and happiness of life. This form of song and dance is flexible and can display its unique artistic appeal in a small space. It can also be organized into a large dance team to participate in parades and performances at major festivals, fully demonstrating its wide adaptability and strong appeal (He, 2024). With the advent of the information age, many performers have consciously learned the artistic performance form of Zuoquan Xiaohua Xi by drawing on popular software and creative courses from their peers. However, what see is no longer an original performance with a pure flavor and style (Ma, 2024). Therefore, the work of sorting out folk dances is not entirely limited to the external forms of things, but requires more understanding of the lives of local people. On the basis of geographical environment and cultural background, we should look beyond the appearance of things and obtain the significant artistic characteristics with cultural connotations. Therefore, this study collected data by adopting field work and literature reading methods in ethnographic research methods. Analyze the three historical development stages of Shanxi’s representative folk dance Zuoquan Xiaohua Xi, and find out the artistic characteristics and rich cultural connotations behind Shanxi’s representative folk dance Zuoquan Xiaohua Xi. Promote more relevant people to understand Zuoquan Xiaohua Xi. Call for better inheritance and promotion of Shanxi culture and Shanxi folk dance culture.