Dr. Kwan led us in a lecture to learn about the Chinese Lion Dance at the Global Village Welcome Center. We spent an hour learning about different types of lions: Northern and Southern, with Southern having a contemporary style and traditional style. I personally have seen more of and like the traditional Southern style because it looks more ornate compared to the fluffy contemporary style. We also went over the history of the lion designs and how different countries have their own, unique lion style.
Something we talked about that I found interesting was the way lions became a part of Chinese culture when lions are not native to the area. The Persian Empire with its travelers and traders learned of lions and the images and masks were passed through cultures, and then came the choreography and music.
After the learning session, we watched a lot of videos of different kinds of Lion Dances, some by IACA and some by other local organizations. I personally really liked the men’s dance because of how coordinated it was, but I liked the different elements of the girl’s dance too.
After the lecture session, we went to the lion costume and tried it on. One person led, one person drummed, and two people stayed in costume. It was fun and surprisingly light because I thought the material would be a lot heavier. Afterwards, we walked around the Global Village Welcome Center and explored. Then one of the employees told us the mission of the Center and how they are working to improve the area and remove any stigma.