Hundreds of years ago, a small Chinese village was threatened on the eve of the
lunar new year by local bandits who dressed themselves as strange beasts (nien). The beasts scared
the villagers away and looted their homes and farmland. Frightened and discouraged from being left
hungry and poor, the villagers decided to stand up to the unknown beast and crafted costumes that
resembled a lion. These costumes were made of bamboo frames and covered with paper mache painted in
bright colors and details. The dancers in the costumes would dance while others hit pots and pans
to make noise. With all the commotion and costumed people dancing under the mysterious costumes,
the villagers were able to scare away the bandits. This eventually led them to believe that the
Lion Dance wards off bad luck, scares away evil spirits, and ushers in good luck. To commemorate
the event, the dance was passed from generation to generation, gradually becoming a part of the
Chinese traditional martial arts. Whenever the people celebrate, it was inevitable that the dance
was performed as a form of thanks-giving. From that moment, the tradition of Lion Dance was
born.
Although lions are not native in China, they came to this country via the famous
Silk Road. Rulers in what is today Iran and Afghanistan sent lions to Chinese emperors as gifts in
order to get the right to trade with Silk Road merchants. The lion dance dates back to the Han
Dynasty (205 B.C. to 220 A.D in China) and during the Tang Dynasty (716-907 A.D.) it was at its
peak. It was particularly performed during religious festivals.
Lion and Dragon Dance embraces the beauty, art, culture, traditions, and history
of China. A good performance is believed to bring luck and happiness. Gestures and movements that
closely mimick the emotions of the mystical animal tells the story behind the performance. Emotions
and expressions portrayed by the dancers include excitement, caution, curiosity, playful, anger,
sleepiness, confusion, happiness, and sadness, to name a few. In addition to this, acrobatic skills
are sometimes displayed by the dancers to add excitement to the performance.
One person plays the head, and the other person plays the tail and they both
choreograph their movements to the rhythm of a drum beat. The choreographed set usually takes place
in a setting of a story where a hungry lion awakens and seeks out food most commonly in the form of
lucky green lettuce. This lucky lettuce is offered by the people and is usually placed in a manner
that the Lion must move about an obstacle in order to grab and eat it. Some of these obstacles
require the Lion to climb, jump, or move about cautiously to check for traps and other ambushes to
ensure a safe path to the lucky green.
Sometimes seen accompanying the Lion is the comical monk, who plays the role of
the Lion's mentor and helps it seek out the lucky green lettuce. The monk has a very large round
head and is always in good spirits. His lighthearted character often acts foolish and silly, making
him very likeable.
The lion is an important Chinese totem, the symbol of power, majesty and
courage, capable of warding off evil spirits. In Chinese legend it is said that the lion was the
ninth son of the dragon and was the best employable guard, thus it was usually seen in front of
royal palaces, offices and residences. Lion and Dragon dance is more frequently performed during
the Lunar New Year and can be seen in all parts of the community including schools, birthdays,
corporate functions, sponsored events, festivals. (Gallery)
Lion & Dragon Performance Contact:
Ka Loch Man
hungfut96@gmail.com
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