Chinese New Year: Our 5 Tips for Watching Lion Dances in Honolulu
Gung Hee Fat Choy! The colorful dances are a family-favorite part of celebrating the new year. We asked a lion dancer for tips for families as they celebrate the Year of the Tiger.
Photo: David Croxford
Get your dollar bills and li see also known as lai see (lucky red envelopes). Chinese New Year is Feb. 1 in 2022, and the start of the lunar new year always comes with lion dances to scare away evil spirits from businesses and homes.
Chinese lion dances consist of two people in a lion costume. The person in the head makes sharp movements with specific footwork to the music of drums and cymbals. This is not to be confused with dragon dances, where nine people hold sticks connected to the longer dragon puppet which chases a pearl, held by another player. Lion dances are quicker and cat-like. Dragon dances are more fluid and serpent-like.
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Of course, a big part of the experience is interacting with the lions. We asked a lion dancer from the Gee Yung Dragon and Lion Sports Association for his tips for first-time families.
Photo: David Croxford
Our 5 Tips
- Approach the lion from the front. This way the dancer can see you. Never grab the lion or touch it from the back. It is considered a heavenly creature and should be treated with respect. The dancers appreciate courtesy as well.
- Bring dollars or cabbage to feed it. Lions are vegetarian and can be enticed by those offerings. You can tease it, by making the lai see challenging for the mischievous lion to grab. But don’t be mean.
- Know it will be loud. The drum represents the heartbeat of the lion and is meant to ward off bad spirits.
- If your child has never seen a lion dance before, go early. Before performances start, you may be able to ask the organization if your keiki can take a closer look at the lion. Some may even let you gently touch the costume. Once the dance starts, keep your child at a distance, away from the loud drums, to see how he or she reacts. If he or she does not look frightened, you can move closer.
- If you want to book a lion dance, check online. There are several local groups with websites or social media pages. Most offer various lion types and even styles of play. Find one you like and request it. You can ask organizations for baby lions, usually with kid dancers inside, if the audience consists of young keiki.
