History
of Lion Dancing
In the ancient China, there was no lion at all. Since Europeans traded with Chinese by using lions in Western Hang dynasty, the first image of lion and the earliest “lion dance” are introduced to the Chinese culture. After Tang dynasty, lion dance had become a New Year custom for the common people. Nowadays, lion dance is a folk performance combining art, martial arts, sports and entertainment. It has spread to Chinese communities all over the world.
The Yangtze River divides Lion dance into “South Lion” and “North Lion” geographically. South Lion’s head is made of paper with colorful paint, bears a violent look. Its body is made of five-colored cloth. South Lion Dance emphasizes on footwork strength. North Lion's head is carved from wood. The lion body is covered with gold and red hair that, together with the lion dancers' wears of the same colors, resembles the real lions. North Lion Dance emphasizes on spring and crafty actions. Two people play both South and North Lion Dances, one in the front, and the other at the back. The two dancers must understand how to act a lion's behavior. In South Lion Dance, sometimes there is also a "Big Head Buddha" with a palm-leaf fan in his hand to tease the lion, creating an exciting atmosphere. In North Lion Dance, sometimes there is a solider brandishing a bundle of flowers to draw the lion's attention. The major part of South Lion Dance is "Green-plucking", while that of North Lion Dance are "Lion With Ball" and "Two Lions Dance".
Art
of Lion Dance
In
China, people like having lion dance in festivals and on special occasions. There
are 2 different types of lions, the Southern and the Northern.
The Northern lion dance focuses more on jumping and playing with props, such as
walking on balls and playing on the seesaw? Usually 2 lions (a male & a
female) will perform together, and along with either 1 or 2 baby lions. They
look like a family and play together happily? The Southern lion dance focuses on
styles and footsteps during the performance. Sometimes the lion is lead by the
big head Buddha. Other times the lion dance focus on jumping on to poles and
walking on wires.
Nowadays
in the lion dance competitions, most participants adopt the lion dancing
originated from the South. They also use various kinds of props such as wire and
poles. Walking and jumping on poles means walking on hills, while walking on
wires means crossing bridges. There should be a complete story during every
performance. The performers should be able to display different expressions of
the lion as well as the footsteps.