Lion Dance

The lion dance is most commonly associated with the celebration of Chinese New Year. What most people don’t know is that it is actually a fundamental part of the martial arts practiced in Southern China. Modern Chinese martial arts school tech the lion dance, not only to preserve the tradition, but also to promote flexibility, stamina and strength.

The lion dance may be often mistaken for the dragon dance, but there is actually an obvious difference between the two. The former only needs two performers, while the latter usually needs more than nine. Just as there are many different forms of Chinese martial arts, there are also many different lion dances. Each lion dance can make use of different lion heads as well. The Fut San, Hok San, Jow Ga and Fut-Hok are Southern Chinese lions, but they have different colors and styles.

The lion dance isn’t just a display of tradition. For many schools, it is a display of how many good students the school has. The dance is actually performed only by those who are knowledgeable in Kung Fu, and most schools are serious in practicing the dance and choosing the students who will have the honor to do it.