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Dancing Lions: Heartbeat of the Beast





The first time that I heard the drum, I was compelled to see what was going on. I squeezed my way through the crowd of onlookers, following my ears, until the "pound" waves were punching through me - like an adrenalin rush where you feel your heart machine-gunning in your chest. And then I saw the lions - brightly coloured and sequined, displaying their agile footwork, twitching their heads in all directions and blinking their eyes sharply as if famished predators scanning the crowd for potential prey. For some reason even though I was just an onlooker, this scene made me feel both a great sense of pride, and one of belonging. That was thirty years ago, and since then, this fun and yet profoundly deep cultural tradition has continued to be a big part of my life and identity.





Although lions are not native to China, lions and the tradition of lion dancing have been a part of Chinese culture and history for over a thousand years. Chinese lions bear little resemblance to real lions, and are portrayed as peaceful creatures that possess nobility and dignity. They symbolize strength, courage and wisdom.



THe Lion and the goddess of mercy



Legend






Legend has it that the Lion was one of the Nine Sons of the Dragon that dwelt in the heavens. Being a lion in heaven is not easy, because everyone up there follows a vegetarian diet. The hungry lion would dream of dining on meat, day-in and day-out. One day, while lounging in the sacred garden of the Western Heaven, he spotted a monkey frolicking in a peach tree. His temptation became too powerful, and he leapt up high snatching his jaws at the tasty looking monkey, clawing at the trunk of the sacred tree, violently tearing whole strips of bark and wood away. The Jade Emperor, ruler over all in Heaven and on Earth, had no choice but to order capital punishment on the Lion for his complete disregard for the laws of Heaven, and so had the Lion's head chopped off and both head and body cast down to earth.


The Goddess of Mercy, Guan Yin, felt compassion toward the Lion, and reattached his head with an enchanted red ribbon. She explained to the Lion, that as she had shown compassion to him, he must in return show compassion towards all living beings. The enchanted red ribbon can still be seen today on the horn of traditional Lion Dance costume heads, symbolizing courage and honour, and in performances the Lion still demonstrates his compassion dining solely on green lettuce leaves.



lion dance resources





Lion dance instructional Dvd



Jumps & Holds


The Chinese Lion Dance has a long history that goes back over a thousand years. Over that time distinct regional styles emerged, including Futsan, Hoksan, Taiwan and Peking. In this instructional video, 24 lion dance "jump" and "hold" techniques are demonstrated and taught step-by-step. These essential techniques can be added to any lion dance style or system, and make every show a guaranteed crowd pleaser.



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Chinese lion dance explained, 1995



by William C. Hu


Dr. Hu's massive 410 page hardcover treatise on the history and tradition of the lion dance is revered by many, but also raised controversy due to differing schools of beliefs. It went out of print long ago, but the most recent pricing on antiquarian book siles is a staggering $5,000 USD which seems criminal as it's original price was only $54.95. Let us all pay respects to Dr. Hu who passed away on Aug 24, 2021. His legacy will live on in the numerous scholarly publications he has gifted to the world.


See our copy of this rare book here



LEGO lion dance (80104)


This is the limited edition playset, that came out in 2020, the Year of the Rat, featuring


lego dragon dance (80102)


This is the limited edition playset, released only in Asia, that came out in 2019, the Year of the Pig, featuring a buildable dragon. Turning the crank makes the dragon and dragon dancers dance and the dragon ball spin. These are rare, so to get your hands on this, expect to fork out collector prices. If you don't mind "knock-off" bricks, you can find much more affordable copies of this set direct from you-know-where (China).


Contact us if you want more info.