Lion Dancing

Lion Dancing is the most popular folk dance in China. The lion is known as the king of the beasts, and in Chinese tradition is considered as a mascot that can ward off bad luck and disaster and bring peace and prosperity. The dancers dress in lion costumes made of paper and wood that the people dress up with colorful decorations, in the hope that the lion will reward their kindness by bringing them happiness and good fortune.

There are two main types of lion dance; those featuring singing and acting and those where acrobatics and fighting are the focus.

The dances featuring singing and acting are full of humor; the lion will perform funny actions like licking it's fur, scratching its head as if anxious or happy, rolling about, jumping, or playing with a ball. On the other had, the dances where acrobatics and fighting are the main feature, place emphasis on techniques such as balancing on a rolling ball, walking on a see-saw walking and even martial arts techniques such as stake walking.

Lion Dancing is popular all over China and has evolved over more than 2000 years of performance. Each ethnic group has their own style of Lion Dance and the performances are very popular, and have even been introduced into Tibet . Since the foundation of the People's Republic of China, many singing and dancing groups and acrobatic troupes have taken to traditional Lion Dancing and have modified them according to their own particular skill sets to produce new variations that have helped Lion Dancing to become a bright pearl in Chinese dancing and acrobatics.