Encyclopedia of China (2nd Edition) Reading Notes 00649 - A Xie Jumping Moon

Axi dance

A fine jumping moon

The Chinese Yi tribes, the Axi and Sani, dance themselves. The Axi people call it "Gosby", which means "jumping joy" (also known as jumping the moon); the Sani people call it "three-string ratio", which means "jumping three strings". It is spread in Yunnan Province, such as Mile, Shilin, Luxi, Yiliang, Cupy, Luliang and other counties. At festivals, gatherings or labor breaks, young men and women gather on the dance field, men carry large three strings while talking and dancing, and women dance with the rhythm of music, clapping their hands and dancing with them. It is said that in ancient times, the slash-and-burn cultivation of the ancestors was busy sowing seeds without waiting for the burned land to cool down in order to grab the festival. The land is very hot, the charcoal ash is often stuck to the feet, people will change their feet, and then pedal hard to shake the ash off, and at the same time make a "tut" sound in their mouths. Later, this labor scene gradually evolved into dance. According to the survey, the dancing music of the late Qing Dynasty and the beginning of the People's Republic was still in the form of men and women dancing together. Usually, male dancers hold instruments such as Xiao Sanhu, bamboo flute, gourd three strings, leaves, and four strings while playing and dancing, and Xiao Sanhu plays a leading and directing role. At this time, the dance movements are simple, and the dancers jump in circles, raise their legs, and relax their legs. In 1921, Duan Xianwu, a young man from Fenghuang Village in Xishan, Mile County, made the first big three strings alone and used it for the first time to jump the moon. In 1930, Zhang Chongren of Xishan Mud Basket Village produced the second generation of big three strings, which were also used for moon jumping. Since then, the big three strings have occupied a special position in the dance and accompaniment in the moon. During this period, on the basis of the circle jumping moon, the form of horizontal jumping was developed, and the dance movements had a new development. There are three kinds of dances: youth, elderly and doll dance, the most representative and common is the youth dance. In this dance, the dance step of "changing feet" is always used, which moves greatly to form a changing figure. The rhythm of the third string is clear, the melody is melodious, accompanied by crisp applause, and the warm atmosphere is shocking.

Excerpt from: The Encyclopedia of China (2nd Edition), Volume 1, Encyclopedia of China Publishing House, 2009