Today, we learned all about the Lion Dance from Kwan that we are going to perform with the IACA at the International Festival next week at the fairgrounds. Taylor, Maddie, and I learned all about the proper stances, setup positions, and movements to perform this dance in a simple way possible. Kwan was very helpful is teaching us this dance of the Lion. Growing up however, I have seen these big parades in movies and school documentaries that have had these dances in them, and I always had thought it was a dragon and not a lion. So, this was slightly embarrassing, but I was happy to learn more about the dance and the meaning from Kwan. It only takes 2 people to operate the Lion, and it was very simple, the head has to have enough strength to lift the head above shoulders, and the back has to just be flat and follow the front. It was fun to learn a new dance with fellow classmates and see all of us be out of our comfort zones. It was fun to learn, and I hope we can possibly learn more about the dance culture of China.
Here is a photo of what the Lion outfit is.
Until next time,
Patrick