Keeping alive the Tac Xinh dance of the San Chay people.

In the cultural life of the San Chay people in Phu Dinh commune (Thai Nguyen province), the Tac Xinh dance (harvest prayer dance) holds sacred significance, conveying wishes for a year of favorable weather, abundant harvests, and peaceful villages. The dance also expresses the moral principle of remembering ancestors, connecting generations, and reflecting the working people's belief in the harmony between humans and nature.

Tắc Xình dance is a unique folk performing art closely associated with the production life of the Sán Chay people. The dance consists of nine basic movements: visiting the road, establishing the village, making decisions, sharpening knives, clearing the fields, planting seeds, harvesting, celebrating the harvest, and dove flying. Each movement mimics familiar labor activities such as clearing fields, planting seeds, catching fish, and chasing animals. From these daily tasks, the people have created and stylized simple yet meaningful dance movements that reflect the life and solidarity of the community. Over a long period of existence and development, Tắc Xình dance has been preserved and passed down through many generations by the Sán Chay community.

People in Phu Dinh commune perform the Tac Xinh dance.

At Phu Dinh Secondary School, incorporating the Tac Xinh dance into extracurricular activities has become a familiar tradition. After school at the beginning of the week, students gather at the arts club to learn the dance and sing traditional folk songs taught by local artisans. Ms. Nguyen Thi Tuyet Le, Principal of Phu Dinh Secondary School, said: “The Tac Xinh dance of the San Chay people is a ritual of thanksgiving to the gods after each harvest season, and also a prayer for a prosperous new year and a bountiful harvest. The movements are simple but contain many profound philosophical meanings. We hope that our students will understand and appreciate these traditional cultural values.”

Speaking with us, Comrade Le Ngoc Linh, Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of the People's Council of Phu Dinh commune, affirmed: "Although simple, the Tac Xinh dance carries sacred meaning, considered by the people as a bridge connecting heaven and earth, the past and the present, and generations. In the future, the locality will continue to preserve and promote the value of this dance, linking it with the development of cultural tourism in the ATK region."

Source: https://www.qdnd.vn/ban-doc/thu-ban-doc/giu-lua-dieu-mua-tac-xinh-cua-nguoi-san-chay-1033362