Drum is a kind of instruments of the percussion music. The players can beat the drum to form rhythmic melody to amuse the audience. As the foreign students in Chinese school in China know, drum is a traditional instrument for percussion music. No matter in the ancient dance or modern dance, drum plays an important role in the dance. In the ancient times, people compared the sound performed by the drum to the thunder. They thought that the drum sound could bring the rain in and helped to the growth of the crops. Thus, drum is closely connected with the dance in the dance in the ancient times.
According to the records of the book Zhouyi, the dance to the drum beat was not only a dance form but a kind of strength to unite the people and cheer them up in difficult times. The drum dance was also a kind of activities which worshiped the gods in the ancient times. Thus, the drum dance became a form of activity to worship the gods as well as a way to entertain the common people from generation to generation. Through the course of history, the drum dance was becoming more and more popular.
There are many different kinds of drum dance. The uses of the drum dance are various like to worship the ancestors, pray for rain in drought, remove ill fortune, cheer people up and celebrate the harvest in autumn. The foreign students who learn Chinese language all know that the drum played an essential role in the different kinds of activities in ancient China. The drum is used in telling the time, sacrifice and military affairs.
The drum dance is popular in the Han nationality and also is in vogue in many other national minorities. For example, the wooden drum dance of the Wa and the Miao nationality, the bronze-drum dance of the Yao nationality and the Bouyei nationality, long-drum dance of the Korean nationality and waist drum in Shanbei are all popular all over the country. The people combine the soul with drum dance to reflect the significance of the drum to the life and dance of people. In any kinds of the celebration activities, the drum dance is always a necessary part.