Lion Dance Performance

The Reason To have the Lion Dance during Chinese New Year

Lion dance performance is presented throughout the Chinese communities all around the world, especially during auspicious festivals and celebrations. The lion dance is believed to rid bad omen, and welcome good fortune into the premise where the lion dance is performed. It brings wealth and prosperity to the owners as well as the residents of the homes & offices, and especially places of conducting business.

The lion dance is performed predominantly during the Lunar Chinese New Year, to celebrate the beginning of spring, and the welcoming of the new year. However, it is also performed during any auspicious festivals, celebrations and all kinds of joyous occasions, from birthdays, anniversaries, company annual dinners or corporate events, opening ceremonies, product launches to important dinners and award nights.

The lion dance is a traditional Chinese dance performed by the students of the martial arts training centres or schools, originated in China. The performance is usually done on major and special occasions of the lunar calendar, as it is believed that the lion is a celestial being and therefore an auspicious animal having the powers to rid bad omens and bring good fortunes. During a festival or function, the lion dance brings on a lively and celebratory atmosphere, however in ancient China, the folks at that time believed that the lion dance has an effect on exorcisms, as well as an auspicious representation of good deeds.

How The Lion Dance is Performed

The lion dance is performed by two persons in and under a lion costume, one in the front to support the head and the front limbs, while the one behind is crouched to make up for its body and hind legs. The performers’ costumes are in synchronisation with the colors of the lion, sometimes even extending to their shoes resembling the shape of the lion’s paws.

Lion Dance is performed accompanied by the rhythm of the beating of the drum, cymbals, and gong, which can sometimes be way too loud and deafening, it is meant to scare away evil spirits and welcome the lion to bring good fortunes. The lion’s dance movements are synchronised with the instruments’ rhythm and level of loudness. Through modernization and technology advancement, the musical instruments in the modern era include electronic devices that offers a vast variety of sounds and beats. These has eased the lion dance troupe in carrying and moving the heavy traditional instruments, which can be quite heavy and space consuming to bring around.

Do You Know the meaning of “Plucking of the Green”

The highlight of the lion dance performance is the plucking of the green. In Chinese, the word ‘green’ also sounds similarly like the word ‘fortune’, and therefore it is used for its reference. Green is represented by lettuce, presented together with other auspicious sounding fruits like mandarin oranges or pineapples, offered to the lion. The lion will approach the offerings prancing around in a stalking manner before consuming it, and then spitting it out the finer bits onto the audience for good luck. It is believed that when the lion open its mouth, all the bad spirits are swept away, and replacing them with blessings. The offerings often include a ‘hong bao’ or red envelope with money in its content, this is payment for the lion’s blessings, which is also the reward for the performance of the lion dance troupe.

Enjoy a Lion Dance Performance with Your Loved Ones

If you don’t want miss out this meaningful show for this occasion, please contact us to get the details.