What To Look For

Team History:

 

The aspect of how long a team has been together is a very important one.  Too often, you may discover, there are teams without the simple attribute of Experience.  Within my formula, before even taking the time to evaluate a team is the amount of years they have been together.  Teamwork is a difficult thing to achieve.  Trial and Error requires the necessary time to gather the knowledge for improvement.  Regardless of the experience of the teacher or coach; I require a minimum of five years of team history.

Organizations vs. Martial Art Schools:

 

You may find many Cultural, University or Community Organizations who are able to perform Dragon or Lion Dances in your community.  My opinion is semi-biased about these types of Organizations.  In my experience, I have noticed that these organizations lack the demanding priorities that a Kung Fu school may have.  While I appreciate that these organizations are assisting in the preservation of Chinese Culture, I tend to believe that they take a relaxed attitude to the significance of these important traditions.  These organizations typically lack the strength and endurance required.

 

So whenever possible, contact a Kung Fu school in your area.  Make sure they have a physical location.  They may be able to perform these dances for you.  However, without an actual Training Hall, they may not have the ability to practice as required.  Remember that every school is different and they may not have the resources to maintain this expensive equipment.

 

Kung Fu vs. Wushu:

What is the difference?  Mainly Kung Fu is regarded as the traditional martial arts of China.  Whereas Wushu or Contemporary Wushu, as it is also known, may be based on some of the traditional kung fu of China but it is more sport in nature.  Wushu has lost many of the martial skills deemed unnecessary for competition.  Wushu is judged based on performance, as you would judge Gymnastics, with its own compulsory sets.  Since Dragon and Lion Dances require strong and bold movements, performers rooted in Traditional Kung Fu are the best choice.  As they have not only the Martial skills required for proper Dragon and Lion Dancing, they also place an importance with history and tradition that is not commonly taught to Wushu performers.  History and Tradition is what the Dragon and Lion Dances represent.

Coach vs. Teacher:

 

What is the difference between a Coach and Teacher?  When it comes to Dragon and Lion Dance teams my view is a simple one.  A Coach is someone experienced with creating the team spirit, coordinating movements and ensuring the quality of the performance.  A Teacher or Master is someone experienced with all of the Coaches attributes with a quite a bit more valued attributes.  These additional attributes include the working knowledge of the history and traditions of these dances, the ability to train and develop of each of the performer’s skills and the physical knowledge that only a Teacher of the Martial Arts can provide.

Northern vs. Southern:

 

There is a common saying about Chinese Kung Fu.  “The North kicks and the South punches.”  While I feel that upper body strength is important, that is common with most Southern Kung Fu styles, I have noticed that the better the leg-work is the better the Dragon or Lion Dance is.  Southern Kung Fu styles are very rooted in nature and do not work on the weight distribution that Northern Kung Fu styles excel at.  This is not true for all Northern styles, but it is true for most.

 

It is traditional for Southern Kung Fu schools to perform with the “Cantonese Lion”.  It is traditional for Northern Kung Fu schools to perform with the “Peking Lions”.  The Southern Lions are the most commonly known whereas the Northern Lions are not.  You will typically see the Northern Lions performing at the Circus, since these Lions require a great deal of room for the use of props and the performance of incredible acrobatics.

 

It is my personal belief that most Northern Kung Fu schools are more capable of properly performing with all of the different types of Lions available.  But you should never discount some of the outstanding Southern Kung Fu schools out there.

Traditional vs. Freestyle:

Traditional Dragon and Lion Dances will tell the story of the specific animal in use.  Freestyle Dragon and Lion Dances are a way for a team to show its athletic and artistic ability.  Each of these styles of dance is pleasurable to watch.

 

It is said that only a proper Lion Dance can scare away evil spirits and bad luck.    Only a proper Lion Dance will ensure good luck and prosperity.  It seems that only traditional schools will teach these dances.  It also seems that the Traditional Dragon and Lion Dances have gone the way of the Shaolin Temple, having become commercialized.

 

When it comes to competition, the Freestyle Dances are the way to go.  But, the only way to judge a team is by its ability to perform a Traditional Dance.

Other Issues To Consider

Website Information:

 

In this day and age, websites are easy to develop and maintain.  Just take a look at this website.  Even someone of my age can do it.  So, it stands to reason that part of a team’s profile should be judged on the information or lack of information contained on their websites.  Basic examples for the kind of questions that you should ask are:  Is the information accurate?  Are they following Copyright Laws?  Is the information complete?  And so on…

 

Lion Dancing Skills:

 

This is also very important.  There are many beliefs behind lion dancing.  But, the most common belief is… only a skilled Lion can bring good luck and fortune.  There are various ways to determine a Lion’s skill with techniques.  Look for things like stability, speed, emotion, strength and flexibility.  Here are some areas within the dance to look:  Stacking, Lying Down, Puppetry, Perching, Rolling, Balance, Jumping, etc.

 

Ability to Solve Puzzles:

 

There are various puzzles that a Lion may need to solve.  For Traditional Teams, this aspect of lion dancing will always be taught.  Each of these puzzles will test the Lion’s abilities.  Examples:  Skill Puzzles (Tsai-Chiang/Dei-Chiang and Li-See), Animal Puzzles (Insects and other Creatures), Word Puzzles, Feng Shui Puzzles, and Water Puzzles.

 

Follows Traditions:

 

I have always believed Tradition to be just as important, if not the most important, thing to consider when judging a team.  There are specific things that all teams should do and be judged by.  Examples:  Hoi-Gong (Awakening the Lion), Etiquette, History and Legends, etc.  Any team that does not follow basic Etiquette (Honor & Respect) would receive the lowest score possible from me.  It is disrespectful to the Martial Traditions that all Lions are based from and it is misrepresentative of the Cultural Heritage of the Chinese people.

 

Quantity of Lions:

 

This will sometimes go hand-in-hand with the team’s history.  Some believe, the longer a team has been together, the more lions they will acquire.  This is not always true.  I believe that a team’s success within their communities can be determined by the quantity of lions.  Lions can be incredibly expensive to purchase.  Maintaining these lions, so that there are useful, is not that cheap either.  Your average team will start with only one or sometimes two lions.  The more successful a team becomes and the more respect they attain from their communities, the more lions they acquire.

 

Different Types of Lions:

 

I personally believe that a Lion Dance Team needs to be familiar with as many types of lions possible.  The most common lion is the Southern “Lau Pei” (Liu Bei) Lion.  Most teams will start with this one.  There is a problem with this though.  Traditionally, the “Lau Pei” should only be used by a long standing school with an established Shifu (Teacher).  Schools just starting-out should never use this lion!  The other two common southern lions are the “Kwan Kung” and “Zhang Fei”.

 

Some of the other lions that should be used are the “Northern Beijing Lions”.  This particular style is considered to be one of the oldest within Chinese History.  The performance of this style was normally reserved for the Emperor and his court.  Since these are the most expensive lions available, many teams will not use them.

 

Dragon Dance:

 

Since the quantity of lions can sometimes be used to determine a team’s success; the teams that have a Dragon, and know how to use it, stands above the rest.  The Dragon is the ultimate symbol of wisdom (experience) and fortune.  Only truly successful teams will have the ability to perform Dragon Dances.  Dragons can come in various sizes.  Some believe that the level of a school or team can be judged by the size of its Dragon.

 

Overall Attitude:

 

This is just a general overview of a team.  Attitude is very important.  Any team that will put-down or insult another team should be avoided at all costs.  Teams that are braggarts and glory seekers should never even be allowed to perform a Dragon or Lion Dance.  These dances are the honored tradition of the Chinese People.  Any team that dishonors others also dishonors the Chinese People.

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