Dragon
Dance
The
Chinese Dragon is a very important creature in
Chinese Culture. It is their most sacred
animal and
was the emblem of the Chinese Emperors, and is
a symbol of strength.
During
the Sung Dynasty (960-1279 AD),
the Dragon Dance was at its most
popular, and still remains popular today.
Performed at any time of day,
it is one of the most spectacular
dances performed by the Chinese.
Just
like the Lion Dance, a Dragon Dance can be
performed for a variety of reasons, the most
popular being to honour the Chinese New Year.
The Dragon is a powerful,
yet friendly and helpful, creature that
is associated with good luck and longevity.
Dragons come in varied lengths, and it
is conceded that the longer the dragon, the
more lucky it will be.
A
dragon can easily require 20-90 people to
control the body.
Another person controls the head, and
yet another person sets the dragons path and
movement with the use of a lantern or
“fireball”.
Musicians
– a drummer, cymbals and a gong, may also
accompany a dragon. They play a beat in time
with the dragons movement.
Kung
Fu schools often perform the Dragon Dance.
Just like the Lion Dance, the Dragon
Dance is not just about ceremony.
It requires skill, strength, agility
and endurance to perform a Dragon Dance, and
as such is an invaluable training tool for the
Kung Fu Practitioner.
Tom
Lo Kung Fu Dragon
The
Tom Lo Kung Fu school has two dragons.
The first is the baby dragon, a 60 ft dragon
that requires around 20 people to
operate. The second, pictured above, is
200ft and requires 45 people at a time to
operate. It once belonged to Hollywood
superstar Jackie Chan and was used during the
filming of "First Strike", shot in
the Chinatown Mall
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