Main Points 1. Traditional History 2. Chinese New Years/Festivals 3. Evolution and Com etition Many eo le !

om are understandin" the Chinese art o# lion dan!in" to understandin" Chinese Culture. $ion dan!in" em%odies all as e!ts o# the !ulture in!ludin" reli"ion& hiloso hy& art& s!ien!e& lan"ua"e& martial arts and o# !ourse dan!e. The Chinese have viewed the lion as a sym%ol o# %ravery and ea!e. The lion's heroi! resen!e "ives o## the im ression o# stren"th and ower however the lion is o#ten !alm and do!ile. The %ravery o# the lion is thou"ht to !hase o## evil s irits whi!h is why statues o# lions are o#ten %uilt outside homes to revent evil s irits #rom enterin" the home. History The history o# the lion dan!e %e"an a thousand years a"o s routin" #rom a !ultural intera!tion %etween China and (est )sia. )lon" the #amous sil* road& Persia would e+!han"e "oods with China in!ludin" animals su!h as lions to the em eror o# China as "i#ts. The em eror o# the time was o# the Han dynasty. There are many le"ends surroundin" how lion dan!in" %e"an. ,ne story is that an evil s irt -Nian. atta!*ed a villa"e one ni"ht& the villa"ers !alled u on the lion to hel them so the lion !ame to li#e and rote!ted the villa"ers. However the lion never returned a"ain& so the villa"ers !onstru!ted an imitation lion o# %am%oo and !loth and %an"ed on ots and ans to s!are the evil s irt Nian away. This %e!ame a tradition is the villa"e as a way to ensure their sa#ety every year. Forms o# $ion /an!in" There are two #orms o# Chinese $ion dan!in"0 the northern and the southern lion. The northern lion resem%les more o# a do" and the southern lion resem%les more o# the !at. The northern lion whi!h resem%les the do" is o#ten desi"ned a#ter the Pe*in"ese u" whi!h was a very sa!red %reed o# do" in an!ient China. Those o# lower ran* were re1uired to loo* away #rom the do" 2ust as they would the em eror and others in the im erial #amily as a si"n o# res e!t. 3in!e viewin" a lion was so rare -there were no 4oos. artists and desi"ners relied on ins iration #rom the u". /urin" the dan!e& the er#ormers would do many a!ro%ati! movements with many li#ts and 2um s with 5do" li*e movements6. The northern style o# dan!e was used #or entertainment ur oses only. The se!ond ty e o# lion is the southern lion resem%lin" the !at. This southern style is the most !ommon loo* with its ma"ni#i!ent loo*in" a earan!e and lon" tail. This style is more sym%oli! o# the !ulture and history %ehind the dan!e as a way to s!are away evil s irits and %rin" "ood lu!* and #ortune and a sym%ol o# the Chinese New year. This style imitates a more li#e li*e lion loo* with realisti! movements. There are many ty es and #orms o# lions within the style all with di##erin" ersonalities and movements. The dan!ers layin" the lead head and the tail are to imitate the emotions o# a human. The audien!e should %e a%le to see the emotion o# the lion as it is ortrayed. There are 7 emotions the lion !an e+hi%it durin" the dan!e0 ha iness& an"er& s!ared& love& sus i!ion& slee y& alert& and drun*. (hen it is er#ormed The lion dan!e is o#ten er#ormed on Chinese New Years& traditionally dan!ers would "o around to lo!al %usinesses where lettu!e and money would %e hun" sometimes 18 or 29 #eet in the air. )nd only very well trained martial artists would %e a%le to rea!h the money while dan!in" with the lion head. The lion was su osed to eat the lettu!e and s it it out while *ee in" the money. These events were

u%li! !hallen"es& so when another lion dan!er #rom another s!hool a roa!hed the lettu!e and money at the same time& the lions #i"ht to !hoose the winner. The individual martial arts s!hools would %e 2ud"ed %ased on who won these %attles and who !olle!ted the lar"est sum o# money. The s!hools would "ain desired res e!t #rom the !ommunity alon" with a lar"e sum o# money. Today the dan!e is er#ormed as entertainment& durin" Chinese New years& reli"ious !eremonies& and weddin"s. Com etition htt 0//www.youtu%e.!om/wat!h:v;<rhrlM"=3aY Con#usion The Chinese $ion /an!e is o#ten !on#used with the Chinese dra"on dan!e whi!h is er#ormed %y a "rou o# 19 or more eo le while the lion dan!e !onsists o# only 2 eo le.

)llison Chew >i%lio"ra hy 1. )uthor ?n*nown. -2913. Chinese $ion /an!e. @etrieved #rom0 htt 0//www.em lion.!om/lion<dan!e 2. /ao& Yi. -299A. History o# $ion /an!e. @etrieved #rom0 htt 0//yi<dao.tri od.!om/idB.html 3. $ee& (illiam. The Chinese )rt o# $ion /an!in". @etrieved #rom0 htt 0//!hineseliondan!ers.we%s.!om/Ta%le<o#<Contents.htm B. )uthor ?n*nown. -2919. $ion /an!e. @etrieved #rom0 htt 0//traditions.!ulturalC !hina.!om/en/1DTraditions27E8.html 8. )uthor ?n*nown -299E. The Chinese )rt o# $ion /an!in". Culture& )rts& and Entertainment. @etrieved #rom0 htt 0//!hineseliondan!ers.we%s.!om E. )uthor ?n*nown -2992. The Chinese $ion. @etrieved #rom0 htt 0//www.!h! .or"/lion.html