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----GUOZHUANG DANCE
Guozhuang, a term often used, is homophonic with Guoxie
in Tibetan and means singing and dancing in a circle. There are farmers' and herdsmen's guozhuang. Farmers' guozhuang is popular in Qamdo in eastern Tibet, while herdsmen's guozhuang is popular in the vast pasture land of Damxung, Heihe and Sog Xian.
Farmers' guozhuang consists of two parts: singing and quick singing and dancing. The tempo is subdivided into slow, medium and quick. At the beginning of a performance men and women stand in two separate circles and sing in rotation while swaying and stamping their feet. They conclude their
singing by shouting "Ya!" Then their steps quicken and come to a stop at an exuberant allegro. The allegro music is often a condensed version of the slow music.
The movements of guozhuang are agile and vigorous. The loose, wide trousers of the male dancers look like the feathered legs of eagles, and the men's movements are imitative of creatures, especially eagles, such as an eagle spreading its wings, hopping, and soaring. The emphasis is on the postures and expression of emotion. The verses for one song read: "Oh, snow-capped mountains, make way for us. We fly with wings spread. Oh, rivers, make way for us. We stride with broad
 steps." These old verses display the Tibetans' brave and bold character.
The form of herdsmen's guozhuang is largely the same as farmers' guozhuang, but there is a big difference in the movement. In herdsmen's guozhuang, for instance, the dancers jump
while waving their hands in front of the chest and step forward, then turn left or right, hands and feet move in the same direction. The sonorous singing produces a magnificent effect.
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