Lion Dance

Dragon structure

The dragon is a long serpentine body formed of a number of sections on poles, with a dragon head and a tail. The dragon is assembled by joining the series of hoops on each section and attaching the ornamental head and tail pieces at the ends. Traditionally, dragons were constructed of wood, with bamboo hoops on the inside and covered with a rich fabric, however in the modern era lighter materials such as aluminium and plastics have replaced the wood and heavy material.

Dragons can range in length from around 25 to 35 meters for the more acrobatic models, and up to 50 to 70 meters for the largest, parade and ceremonial styles. The size and length of a dragon depend on the human power available, financial power, materials, skills and size of the field. A small organization cannot afford to run a very long dragon because it requires considerable human power, great expenses and special skills which are difficult to manage.

The normal length and size of the body recommended for the dragon is 112 feet (34 meters) and is divided into 9 major sections. The distance of each minor (rib-like) section is 14 inches apart; therefore, the body has 81 rings. Many may also be up to 15 sections long, and some dragons are as long as 46 sections. Occasionally dragon with far more sections may be constructed in Chinese communities around the world to produce longest dragon possible, since part of the myth of the dragon is that the longer the creature, the more luck it will bring. The current record of the longest dragon stands at over 5 km long.[16]

Historically the dragon dance may be performed in a variety of ways with different types and colors of dragon. Green is sometimes selected as a main color of the dragon, which symbolizes a great harvest. Other colors include: yellow symbolizing the solemn empire, golden or silver colors symbolizing prosperity, red color representing excitement while its scales and tail are mostly beautiful silver colors and glittering at all times which provides a feeling of joyous atmosphere. As the Dragon dance is not performed every day, the cloth of the dragon is to be removed and to have a new touch of ultra-paint before the next performance.

The Northern Lion

The Northern Lion looks pretty much like a Peking dog, with its whole body covered with long fur. The Northern Lion will normally perform in pairs with another person holding a ball for the pair of lion to chase after. Sometimes, to make things more exciting, two lion kids will join in to perform together with the two adult Lions. The pair of adult Northern Lions is made up of a female and a male. Initially their genders were differentiated by the color of the ribbon that is tied on the lions’ head. The female Northern Lion has a green colored ribbon tied on, while the male has a red colored ribbon. But currently, the gender of the northern lion can also be differentiated by the color of its fur on its head and its back, i.e. green for a female and red for a male.

The Northern Lion Dance projects a very active, happy, and playful movement. In their performance, they will joyously and actively chased after the ball, by leaping over tables, chairs, spinning themselves in 360 degrees stunt and rolling over one and another. If you happen to bounce into these Lions, make sure that you make it a point to see them in their performance.

Styles

Lion dance, Chinese New Year Lion dances during Chinese New Year

During its thousand-year development, the lion dance was divided into two styles: the southern lion dance and the northern lion dance.

The Northern Lion Dance

The northern lion dance has close relations to wushu (martial arts). Usually, a young lion is performed by a single person and an adult lion is performed by a duo. Both performers are in lifelike lion dance costumes, so that the performers become an integral part of the lion: their lower limbs are in trousers which are the same color as the lion's body, and their yellow-colored shoes are in the shape of the lion's claws.

In the adult lion dance, one performer stands in front to hold the lion's head, and the other bends his waist to make the lion's body move. The lion, under its instructions, gives performances such as rolling, wrestling, leaping, jumping, climbing, or worshiping.

The Southern Lion Dance

The southern lion dance originated from Guangdong, and it is famous in Hong Kong, Macau, and the hometowns of overseas Chinese people. The southern lion dance is also performed in pairs, and the performers wear a lion costume.

The southern lion dance is a performance based on the study of a lion's behaviour. The southern lion dance puts an emphasis on actions like scratching, shaking himself, and licking his fur, which makes a performance vivid and entertaining. Moreover, there are some skilful performances, such as playing with a ball, which includes swallowing it.