Have you ever seen lions dancing in the streets? The lions dance to the beat of a drum (鼓). Of course, they are not real lions. They are dancers in lion costumes (服饰). Lion dancing first started in China centuries ago. It is meant to bring good luck in the coming year.
Usually, a lion is made up of two dancers. One dancer controls the head. The other controls the tail.
"I think of it as a sport," says Anthony Huang, aged 16. He is a member of the New York Chinese Freemasons Athletic Club. Anthony performs (表演) as the lion's head. It can weigh 20 pounds. Lion dancing is important to Anthony. "This tradition really lifts me up," he says.
In the past, lion dancing was performed mostly by men. But it is different today. LionDanceMe is a lion dancing group in San Francisco, California. There are boys and girls on its team. They dance together.
"Anyone can take up lion dancing. You have to believe that you can do it," says Ananda Tang-Lee, a 17-year-old girl.
Lion dancing will continue to evolve. But a team's sense of community will never change. "We call it a family," Ananda says, "It's really great, because we always have each other's backs."
