The Yi ethnic group has many branches. Some still live in extremely cold areas and their dances vary. The Moonlight Dance of Axi, popular in Lunan and Mile of Yunnan Province, is a kind of mass dance of Axi and Sani people of the Yi ethnic minority.

Every year, when it's time for spring ploughing, Axi people plant in the moonlight at night. This is the origin of the Moonlight Dance.

The accompanying instruments include the big Sanxian (three-stringed Chinese guitar) and the flute. Most of the music is five-eighth time. Five beats make up a phrase. The first three beats are the major melody, and in the latter two beats, the string is plucked to produce sound of "Chacha", like rhythmic jumping. Dancers are not limited in number, but they must be in pairs. In the first three beats, the dancers move forward, backward or around; while in the latter two beats, they clap their feet or hands while staying at the original places.

In the 1940s, dancers developed the original dance in the Moonlight Dance of Axi into what we see today on stage.

Date: 11-13 August
Place: Mi’le County, Honghe Prefecture
Axi is a Yi ethnic branch of Mi’le County, one-hour drive from the Stone Forest. "Axi Dance", also known as "A Xi Tiao Yue" in Chinese, is a traditional dance of the Axi and Sani branches of the Yi ethnic minority living in M'le, Lunan (Shilin) and Luxi etc.

It is a kind of recreational form in the social life of the Yi youth. When dancing, boys play Dasanxian (a kind of three-stringed instrument) or flutes, and girls will dance up joyfully to the rhythms.

阿细跳月是彝族阿细人最具代表性的民族民间舞蹈，阿细跳月阿细语称“嘎斯比”，即“欢乐跳”之意，因多在月光篝火旁起舞，故名曰“阿细跳月”。阿细跳月也称“阿西跳月”、“跳乐”。自称“阿细”、“撒尼”的彝族民间传统舞蹈。它发源于云南省弥勒市西山阿细人聚集区，流行于云南弥勒、石林、泸西等地。青年男女社交娱乐形式。男舞者弹大三弦或吹笛子，女子合着节拍与男对舞。或者牵手围圈，左右摆动，拍掌踹脚，旋转而舞。 彝族撒尼人和阿细人的民间舞蹈之一。流行于云南彝族地区。主要动作有三步一蹦跳、拍掌、跳转等。节奏鲜明，情绪欢快。又称跳乐。中国民族音乐家彭修文曾根据该舞蹈的音乐，写了民族管弦乐曲《阿细跳月》。

特点编辑

这种舞蹈最突出的特点就是男青年挎着一个大三弦边弹边跳。大三弦全长约135厘米，琴筒宽度约27厘米，长约33厘米，弦码处置有铁皮扣片，弹拨时“嚓、嚓”作响。男青年斜挎如此大而重的三弦，边弹边舞，显示出男性的矫健与豪放。伴奏曲多是五拍为一乐句，前三拍为主旋律，后两拍用力拨弦。舞者的步伐与此相吻合，前三拍进退、转身、跳跃，后两拍原地拍掌对脚。表演时，大家随着领舞者忽而形成两大横排，进退欢舞，如潮涨潮落，忽而又变为“二龙吐须”，双双对舞后，依次散开，如渠水分流而去。舞蹈的基本动律是左右晃身、摆胯。整个舞蹈热情奔放，大幅度的跳动和变化鲜明的图形，构成炽热的气氛，具有浓烈的野趣美。

现状

如今的阿细跳月，分青年舞和老年舞两种。老年舞缓慢轻松，随着笛子的节奏，男子的弹起小三弦、月琴、拉起二胡坦然潇洒，喜而不露的翩翩起舞；女的则双手叉腰起舞，抬着脚，随着笛声、弦声拍着双手，旋转摆腿，时而围圈齐跳，时而相对而舞，保持着集体舞的阵容，温雅自如，情趣神怡。青年舞是在老年舞的基础上发展起来的，跳时，先调好大三弦和笛子的音凶，随即男青年率先背着大三弦舞，女青年随之而成队入伙，击掌伴跳，男女青年各成一行，相向起舞，队形随着音乐旋律而前后左右移动变化。青年舞节奏明快，粗犷豪放，欢腾激越。充分体现了阿细人民英勇豪放的气概和浓厚的民族民间艺术风情。

影响

自古以来，阿细山寨就流传着“活着不跳乐，白在世上活”，“大三弦一响，脚底板就痒”等谚语。新中国成立后，“阿细跳月”正式搬上文艺舞台。多次出省、进京演出。1954年，“阿细跳月”作为中国的优秀民间舞蹈，到波兰华沙参加第三届世界青年联欢节，引起强烈的轰动效应；八十年代，“阿细跳月”乐曲被列为世界名曲之一；1992年2月，由弥勒县西山地区彝族农民组成的阿细跳月艺术团破天荒作为全国唯一的县级农民艺术团，列为第三届中国艺术节大型文艺表演者之一，在昆明人民胜利堂一展让人心动、诱人迷恋的“阿细跳月”风采，赢得了中外人士的赞誉。

中国昆明世界园艺博览会期间，弥勒县组织200人的“阿细跳月表演团”参加世博会开幕式和开园仪式、中国馆日、闭幕式演出，原汁原味的阿细跳月再度辉煌；新千年第一个春天，悠扬、欢快的“阿细跳月”旋律在音乐圣殿维也纳金色大厅作为全世界迎新春音乐会的开篇再次轰然奏响。它再次证明：越是民族的越是世界的。阿细跳月像一朵盛开在云岭高原上妍丽的山茶花，美丽着一方神奇的红土地。

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