Lion dance Guide, Meaning , Facts, Information and Description
Lion dance (Chinese: 舞獅; pinyin: wǔ shī) is a form of traditional dance in Chinese culture.
There are two distinct kinds of lion dance in China. The northern hornless lions are believed to be Fu Dogs. The southern horned lions are believed to be Nians.
The northern lion dance has had a history of at close to a thousand years. The lion is traditionally regarded as a guardian creature in Chinese culture. It is featured in Buddhist lore, being the mount of Manjusri. The dance is symbolic of the people's prosperity and peace.
The lion costume may be operated by a single dancer, who springs about while energetically moving and shaking the head and operating the jaws, or by a pair of dancers, forming the back and fore legs of the beast. The use of a pair of dancers is seen perfected in the exhibitions of Chinese acrobats, with the two dancers forming as a team the motions of a single animal as they move between platforms of varying elevations. The dance is traditionally accompanied by gongs, drums and firecrackers, representing the descent of good luck. When the dancing lion enters a village or township, it is supposed to pay its respects first at the local Buddhist temple, then to the ancestors at the ancestral hall, and finally through the streets to bring happiness to all the people. There are three types of lions: the golden lion, representing liveliness; the red lion, representing courage; and the green lion, representing friendship.
The dance is performed usually at Spring Festival or other important occasions. Until the early twentieth century there existed professional lion dance troupes but the dance is now mostly performed by enthusiasts. There is considerable differences regionally in how the lion dance is performed. For example, in the north there is normally only one lion involved whilst in the south there are two lions. Some areas have developed their own unique lion dances. Ninghai, in Ningbo, is called the "homeland of lion dance" (狮舞之乡) for the northern variety. Guangdong is the homeland of the southern variety.
Lion dance is prominently featured in the Cirque du Soleil show Dralion. The name Dralion was based on Chinese dragon and Chinese lion.
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