Two people, one lion, and a drum you feel before you hear.
WHAT IT IS
A lion is worked by two performers — one at the head, one at the body — moving as a single animal. The lion blinks, startles, scratches, sulks and pounces. Done well it stops reading as a costume within about ten seconds.
It is accompanied live by drum, cymbals and gong, and the percussion is half the act. The sound arrives before the lion does, which is precisely the point at an opening or an arrival.
Traditionally the lion brings good fortune and drives off bad luck, which is why it appears at New Year, at store and building openings, at weddings and at the start of anything that people want to go well.
WHY IT TRAVELS
It is the most internationally recognised Chinese performance there is. An audience of any nationality knows roughly what it is looking at, which makes it the safest opener in the catalogue — and the one guests reliably film.
It also moves. Unlike a staged act it can enter through a lobby, work a crowd, cross a courtyard and finish on a stage, which gives a programme a moving start rather than a seated one.
VARIATIONS
- Southern lion — the expressive, bright-coloured style most people picture
- Northern lion — more acrobatic, often performed in pairs
- Dragon dance 舞龙 — a longer creature carried on poles by nine or more performers, for outdoor space and processions
- Pole lion 梅花桩 — the lion works elevated posts, a high-difficulty version requiring rigging and clearance
WHAT IT NEEDS
- A clear route through public space, indoors or out
- Ceiling height for the lion to rear up — check low lobbies
- The percussion is loud and live. Fine outdoors and in atria; discuss placement for a dining room
- Pole lion requires rigging, clearance and a safety plan
INTERNATIONAL BOOKINGS
Our performers travel. They hold valid passports, work in basic English alongside our bilingual production staff, and are experienced with international schedules and call sheets.
For overseas bookings we normally need four to six weeks for visas and documentation, though we have worked to shorter notice. Costume, props and instruments travel with the company.
We also cast for film, television and commercial shoots. On request we can supply portfolios, full-body reference photography, measurements, unedited performance video, and day and overtime rates.
Want Lion Dance at your event?
Tell us the setting and the moment you want it to land, and we will cast it.
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