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Chinese Lion Dancing

Question: What exactly is Chinese Lion Dance?

Answer: Lion Dancing is a performance in which two people put on a costume that resembles a lion. This performance is accompanied by Chinese percussion instruments. The instruments consist of a drum, cymbals and a gong. The beats of the instruments are meant to coordinate with the movements of the dancers. The quality of the performance hinges on everyone working as a team.

Our lion dance team is made up of students from our kung fu program. Lion dancing and kung fu have always been practiced together. Lion Dancing requires skill, coordination, and endurance. Strong stances and balance are a prerequisite to playing the lion well.

The legend of the origin of the lion dance is a very interesting one. The legends states that over a thousand years ago, the emperor of China had a dream one night in which a strange looking animal saved his life. He was not sure what type of animal it was, so the next morning, the emperor described the dream to his advisors. One of the members of his entourage said to the emperor, that he believed that the strange animal that he described could be a Western lion.

However, no one knew what a lion looked like exactly and so the emperor commissioned that a lion be created out of paper mache, and that people would simulate the movements of the lion.

Since that time, the lion and the lion dance have become a symbol of good luck throughout China. During the Chinese new year lion dance teams are contracted by store and other businesses to perform in order to chase away bad luck. Also, many Chinese couples planning to marry, contract lion dance teams to perform at their wedding for the same reason.

The Chinese lion dance is also good for other special occasions like birthdays and parties. The lion dance brings good luck and fortune everywhere it is performed.

How you can reserve your performance

To get more information on lion dance performance please call either myself (Instructor Kevin Kawada) or my wife Renee at 702-336-1095 and we will contact you within 24 hours. We will make sure to take the time to speak with you about what kind of performance you want specifically.

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