Our drum stands have lasted quite a few years and are pretty simple to make out of a few pieces of 2x4. It's shaped like a "T" with casters on each of the three ends and made specifically to fit each of our drums. The front is raised by adding another 2x4 across the front and there are brackets to hold the drum in place. We covered these with pieces of synthetic fur (carpet would work just as well) to pad and protect the drum. We also added two eye bolts on the front (one on each side) that we tied a cord through to pull the drum.

I attached a rough plan for the cart body, hopefully you can decipher it.

Some other groups on this list have actual carts that hold the drum and gong and have storage for drum sticks, cymbols, etc.

Shel,

Dr. Hu's Lion Dance book is out of print and doubtful it will be reprinted. Last I checked three months ago, Eastwind Bookstore in San Francisco still had a few copies. Their web site is : www.eastwindsf.com For basic information about the book, look in www.liondancer.com click "speakers" and look under Dr. William Hu and then click "Chinese Lion Dance Explained". Although the site still has the book offered, they are out of stock. There is another book on lion dancing (Cantonese, Taiwan and Peking lions plus a good section on drum making and drum notations) written in Chinese still available in Taiwan. I just gave away my last copy and will be ordering a new one. If there are others interested in buying this book, it was sold at 1,000 Taiwan dollars 2 years ago when the NT was 25 to $1 usd. Today the exchange rate is to our favor at 32 to $1 usd, but they might have up the price. It will probably end up costing around $50 a copy which includes the postage. It is hardbound with many color pictures.

George Chan advised that videos of 2000 lion dance competition should be available sometime in November and he will get some to me for distribution in North America. Let me know if you want one and I will reserve for you. I don't know the price yet until George sends me a billing and I add in the cost of freight.

David

Serhat & all,

Thanks for sending that message through to the list. I've been meaning to write about the sculpture, but didn't want it to sound like a commercial, so now that the commercial is out of the way I can write my thoughts on it.

I met James Wong (the sculpter/designer) a few months ago when he was still doing research for the piece. If sales of the southern lion do well he's planning on doing a whole series of lion dance related pieces. We're not sure what that's going to include right now, but the northern lion is in the works already.

I got one of the first production pieces off of the line and it's pretty good. It's cast in three pieces (lion, and 2 people) with a fair amount of detail, then melded together. And it comes with a nice wooden stand. It's been pretty hard for me to find quality lion dance collectables, most of the keychains, t-shirts, and miniature lion heads are kind of goofy looking (in my opinion), but this one is worth the price if you have the money to spend. If you don't, then there's always your birthday/Christmas wish list...

Hope that didn't sound too much like a commercial, but I want to support James so he'll make more lion dance stuff! :)

Chris

David,

About Dr. Hu's book... it's a shame that it's out of print. but about the other book, I'm not so sure about it b/c I can't read a lot of the characters...(if only i had finished chinese school) haha

But the video sounds great... Put me in for a copy... [it is on VCD or Tape??]

Would you happen to know of any other videos out there... like from HK, Singapore, or even 98 Malaysia video??

Thanks again

Shel

Shel,

I am out of the 1998 lion championship video, but have several requests for them I will ask George Chan to send a few copies of the 1998 along with the 2000 championship VCD's. If anyone else wants the 1998 VCD pls let me (George) know.

David

I hope it's ok--I heard about that trick years ago and I always thought it was funny--I know people would enjoy it--and I was hoping to teach it to the kids.

chuck