How to learn lion dance
It takes a lion's share of discipline and training to lion dance - YP
A colourful, fierce-looking lion the size of two men is dancing to the beat of traditional Chinese drums. It moves quickly yet delicately, like a kung fu master, before unrolling a scroll with its mouth. "Kung Hei Fat Choy," it reads.
The lion dance is a tradition across several Asian countries. In Hong Kong, we usually see the southern Chinese lion at festivals, such as Lunar New Year. And this year there's a top lion dancer to entertain us. Master Keung Wai-chi won the Hong Kong International Lion Dance Cup three times since 2011.
"I don't know why I like lion dance," says Keung. "I guess it's just cool. Everything about it: the moves, the music. It feels cool."
Watch John's lion dance lesson from Master Keung at the end of the article
Keung was first introduced to lion dancing at a young age by his father, who is also a lion dance master. But it was his exposure to martial arts that really helped his lion dancing. Growing up in a martial arts studio, he practised two martial arts styles which were essential to his lion dance education: sam jin and da dao mei hua guan.
"The sam jin kung fu style helped strengthen my arms and legs," he says.
It takes strength and discipline to master the lion dance. Photo: Times Square
From the brief lion dance lesson I had from the master, I quickly discovered strong arms and legs are very important. I like to think that I'm in decent shape, but after even a short lesson, I was soon out of breath.
Holding the papier-mâché lion's head soon left my arms aching; it is heavier than it looks. Using one hand, you hold the head with a small handle near the lion's mouth. The other hand is bent in an awkward position to control the mouth.
One of your arms must be strong enough to hold the lion's head level while you flap the mouth with the other.
You also have to pull a string once in a while to make the lion blink. And you must do all of this while making quick, jerky movements, like a lion chasing prey.
There's a lot of crouching and jumping, too. With your arms busy holding up the lion's head, it's not easy to balance. The other style of martial arts Keung studied, da dao mei hua guan, helps with the lion dance movement.
"You turn and twist a lot in lion dance, and da dao mei hua guan helps with that," says Keung. In fact, you twist and turn so much while practising the martial art, Keung says that, "if you were to practise it in a sand pit, at the end of your session, you'd find that your feet had created a flower print on the sand from all the movement."
It's not just physically tiring, but mentally, too.
"You need teamwork because the lion dance is performed by two people," says Keung. "You need to be able to move and jump together, so you need to practise a lot; so much that the two of you feel as if you're one lion.
"
Watch John's lion dance lesson from Master Keung at the end of the article
Practising so much definitely brings dancers closer together. Keung says his lion partner, with whom he practises for six hours a day during competition periods, became his best friend soon after they started working together.
For Keung, not only do you get a good workout, develop teamwork, and look cool, you also learn the Chinese virtues of kung fu: loyalty, respect, kindness and brotherhood.
Each lion represents a character from a story, and by learning about the lion, you can learn about the virtues of the lion.
Keung's favourite is the Zhang Fei lion, which is black and white with a green nose and iron horns. Its ears are always injured because it's constantly fighting, earning the nickname the Fighting Lion.
"Zhang Fei is the bravest in his story," says Keung. "I like his story, and I think it can be applied to modern life.
Everyone can be more courageous. Also, he's very cool."
The Zhang Fei lion is part of Times Square's exhibition, The Legend of Lion Dance, which showcases 36 lions from Keung's collection. The exhibition ends on March 5
Lion Dance | Real Shaolin Kung Fu in St Louis 少林洪家拳
Lion dance (醒獅) has been part of Chinese culture for thousands of years, dating back to the Han Dynasty (205 BC to 220 AD), where it was primarily performed in a religious ceremony. Today, it continues to be performed at special events such as Chinese New Year, festivals, weddings, and business openings. By having the lion do the blessings, it is believed to ward off evil spirits, and bring happiness, luck, and prosperity to the people and businesses.
Although there are many kinds of lion dance, we do specifically the southern fatshan (佛山獅) lion dance. Southern lion dance is popular in southern China and Southeast Asia, such as Hong Kong, Taiwan, Macao, Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, and Singapore.
Traditionally, the southern lion dance troupes were performed by martial artists of various kung fu schools. The lion dances to the beat of a large drum, a gong, and cymbals. The lion requires two dancers, one in the front handling the head, eyes, ears, mouth, while the other in the back handling the tail. It is quite different than a dragon dance which requires over 10 people to perform. The lion dancers must have good strength, power, stamina, flexibility, and balance in order to fulfill such a task. A Buddha (大頭佛) may be used to tease the lion with a fan, guide the lion in a crowd, direct the lion to the red envelope (紅包), or spot the dancers during a high acrobatic stunt. Hung Gar practitioners were well known for their lion dance performance. The legendary Wong Fei Hung first encountered his last wife at a lion dance performance. One of his shoes flew out of his feet during a performance and hit, which later became his last wife Mok Gwei Lan (莫桂蘭)’s face.
We offer class for lion dance every Sunday.
We encourage our students to participate in the lion dance practice as this can strengthen their gung (功). As a current student, there is no charge in learning this traditional art. A student begins by learning musical instruments first such as the cymbal and gong. Depending on the student’s body type and interest, he or she can go on to learn either to play the drum, manipulate the head, or maneuver the tail of the lion. Lastly, the student can also learn the movements of the Buddha. Once the student is proficient in this art, he or she can join the lion dance troupe to perform in various events throughout the year.
Our price of the performance varies depending on the number of lions that is required, the place and distance of the performance, the kind of props required, and the amount of time it takes from start to finish. If you are interest in booking a lion dance performance, please contact us.
Here is a list of our more popular clients:
Ameristar Casino
Anheuser-Busch St.
Louis Brewery
Ballpark Village
Captain Elementary
Chesterfield Day School
Chinese Student and Scholar Association – SLU Groups
Chinese Culture Day
Commerce Bank
Delmar Loop
Festival Of Nations
Fo Guang Shan St. Louis Buddhist Center
Gateway Dragon Boat Festival
Glenridge Elementary
Hollywood Casino St. Louis
KSDK Show-Me-St-Louis
Kung Fu Tea St Louis
Ladue Middle School
Little Saigon Cafe
Lu Lu Seafood & Dim Sum Restaurant
Lumière Place Casino
Mad Crab restaurant
Maryville Univesity
Olive Supermarket
Pokedoke restaurant
Richmond Heights Public Library
River City Casino
Saint Louis Art Museum
The Spirit Church
Spoede Elementary School
St Louis Art Fair
St Louis Master Qi Kungfu School
St Louis Public Library – Carpenter Branch
St. Louis Vietnamese Community
Sushi Koi
United Provisions
University of Illinois Springfield
Voncii Nail Salon
Wei Hong Seafood Restaurant
Wonton King Chinese Restaurant
World Affairs Council of St.
Louis
Wyland Elementary School
Zenwich restaurant
How to learn to dance contemporary - One Life Lviv
Contemporary has become a completely new and significant milestone in choreography. Being a symbiosis of several dance directions and techniques at once, the dance has turned into a real art that has attracted a huge army of fans.
Served contemporary, like a theatrical performance. The embodiment of the powerful energy of dancers in movements that express thoughts, emotions and feelings that are hidden deep inside.
If you imagine yourself as a bird soaring in the sky, and your hands moving smoothly to the sound of the winds, then these will be the sensations that you experience in the dance. Such a state is comparable to the harmony and lightness of the body and the absolute peace of the human soul. Having learned to dance this dance, a person seems to start flying, without feeling the surroundings.
What is the place of contemporary dance in Lviv? In all the variety of styles of choreography - contemporary is important, because it is they who can reveal such a large list of emotions and experiences.
Be aware of your body and you will dance contempo
Starting to learn the movements of contempo, pay attention to awareness of your own body. This is necessary for a thorough understanding of the natural principles of movement, for mastering the methods of proper breathing and maintaining balance.
The body is an extremely sensitive instrument that requires a certain amount of tuning. After its implementation, sensations of all the advantages of contemporary come. The dance is distinguished by its individual language and allows you to say your own "I" without resorting to words and using only movements.
Contempo is called a ballet performance without certain canons, since ballet is distinguished by harmony, and contemporary - the rejection of any symmetry. There are such varieties of modern dance direction: vertical, parterre (on the floor) and in pairs. In it, breathing is important, providing the main assistance in movements.
Practitioners from the East gave training methods for balance and transition of the body to different positions.
Contempo is oriented "inside", which allows you to fully express your own feelings, creating entire theatrical performances.
Dance lessons in Lviv in the style of contemporary help to fully feel your body and learn how to control it in the direction you need to dance and perform all those forms, figures and elements that are important for contemporary dance.
Learn to dance contemporary: getting to know the world, start with yourself
Our dance classes are taught by experienced choreographers who help everyone who wants to master the methods of contemporary. They, along with the coordination of the dancer's body, pay attention to his consciousness, since these two concepts form the basis of the dance.
Enthusiastic people come to study with us, distinguished by diligence and openness to new things.
Learning to dance contemporary: an art accessible to everyone
Watching dancers performing contemporary sometimes frightens a person who thinks that he cannot master all these tricks.
There is no need for doubts, since they also began development, having no idea about the new current.
With time comes the necessary experience. The main thing is that the beginner should have attentiveness, enthusiasm, the desire to improve and work on himself. There will be no easy way - no one hides. However, as the feedback from the students shows, all the work will bring the desired result.
Learning how to dance contempo for guys and boys is not just a tribute to a fashionable dance trend. This is a manifestation of fortitude, as well as endurance. They simply go beyond the knowledge of people and overcome the laws of attraction. The experience gained gives confidence in one's own strengths.
Contempo training is especially useful for girls and girls, as it guarantees a better knowledge of oneself and one's desires, the expression of sensuality. The desire to learn and master contempo does not create obstacles for dancers of any age and gender.
The basic principles of contemp lie in several factors:
- The desire to master contemporary.
- In the control of breathing when performing dance movements.
- In intensive training of muscles and joints.
- Working with the concepts of time and space.
- In mastering controlled inertia.
- In the ability to work with weight and gravity.
- In precise movement.
If you are ready to follow these methods and have the desire to master the dance, come to us. We will help you reach the heights in the performance of modern dance!
If you have read to the end and you liked it, put like❤ and subscribe to our social networks, there will be many more interesting things to come!!!
faces&places / Dragon Dance: The Symbolism and Mythology of Chinese Dance
Noisy fireworks, strange food, skyscrapers of Hong Kong, bright paper lanterns and spectacular Dragon dance at festivals - China is many-sided and diverse, and we don't know everything about it. Today we will talk about the Chinese folk dance and the fact that it is not limited to the painted head of the Dragon.
Just as it was among many peoples of the world, dance in China since ancient times was primarily a ritual rite. It was performed to ask the gods for a harvest, good weather, or a glorious hunt. Moreover, each of the many - about 56 - ethnic groups in China had its own unique dance. Over time, it transformed, passed through the centuries and changed. In the Han era (III century BC - III century AD), the dance was still of a ritual nature, while now it has nothing to do with religion.
Elements of martial arts are an integral part of the dance, photo: The.Rohit
In ancient times, people expressed their emotions through dance: love, sadness, longing, jealousy and rivalry; but sometimes maternal care, the ability to forgive and family ties. Their dance was like a gift and was passed down from generation to generation. Often, due to strife, wars or diseases, entire huge layers of dance history were lost forever. That is why, after the establishment of the People's Republic of China, the government decided to take care to preserve this important part of the culture of its people.
Of no small importance is the fact that the dances of antiquity were not only a way of self-expression, but also included elements of martial arts, they were a spectacular and planned action from A to Z. And some dances, such as court dances, could also have a plot. Such dances were performed on the occasion of important ceremonies, big holidays or banquets in honor of an honored guest.
Dance in China has been primarily a ritual since ancient times, photo: C.K. NG
Court Dances
Initially, the court dance served to show the greatness of the imperial army. It was a reminder that the emperor's army is always ready to fight and protect their ruler. Such a dance was called the "Dance of the Cavalry of Prince Qing."
Between 712 and 756 the dance "Songs of Endless Sorrow" appears. According to legend, Emperor Li Longzi dreamed that he went to the moon, and there in the palace he came across a group of beautiful girls dressed in feathers and clouds.
Waking up, he told his dream to his concubine. She, in turn, to please the ruler decided to recreate the dance from a dream. This is how "Songs of Endless Sorrow" appeared.
Still, the Tang Dynasty is considered the most popular Chinese dance today.
The dance is one of the top attractions to see when traveling to Xi'an. Regardless of the plot, it is popular throughout China.
Dragon Dance and Lion Dance
But back to the Dragon's huge paper head. The dragon symbolizes strength and dignity in China, and the Chinese themselves zealously consider themselves descendants of this mythological monster. The Dragon Dance is one of the most important rituals for celebrating the New Year. Traditionally, dragons were made from wood and bamboo hoops, and then covered with fabric. It is very difficult to control a dragon, and without practice it is almost impossible. Management requires teamwork and complete coordination, because if someone stumbles or loses the rhythm, then everyone else will make mistakes.
As a rule, the Dragon is held by 50 strong men, and the weight of the head alone is sometimes more than 14 kg!
The dragon is not the only revered animal in China. Remember the big painted scary dragon head that you saw in almost every movie about China where there is a holiday? Now, it's not a dragon. This is Leo. And you saw the lion dance.
The Lion Dance differs depending on where it is performed, photo: upi.com
Usually there are two people in the Lion costume, but there are variations of the dance where it is performed solo. The basic movements of this dance are borrowed from martial arts, and traditionally, like the Dragon dance, it is performed on New Year's Eve. But the most interesting thing is that the Lion dance differs depending on the place of its performance. For example, in Northern China, lions come out in pairs (red bow for a man, green for a woman). And sometimes the lions come out as a "family" and perform a joint dance.
South China is much more interesting.
In this area, the Lion dance is more symbolic. It is performed to scare away evil spirits and lure the goddess of luck. The lion mask itself is also different. Great attention is paid to its coloring, the head is more clearly separated from the body, the eyes are much larger, and a mirror is attached to the forehead: they believe that the evil spirit will look into it and get scared. In addition, this Lion has horns.
The dance in honor of the many-armed goddess is one of the most beautiful in China, photo: C.K. NG
Dance of the Thousand-Armed Guanyin
In Chinese mythology, Guanyin (not to be confused with the eponymous disciple of Lao Tzu) is the goddess of mercy, the patroness of the female half of the house. Her name translates as "considering the sounds of the world." A Buddhist legend from The Complete History of Guanyin and the Southern Seas says that Guanyin vowed not to know peace until all living beings were liberated from samsara, rebirths limited by karma.
