Lion Dance: The Dance for Good Fortune

The Lion Dance is a Chinese traditional dance in Singapore, performed mainly on festivals, such as Chinese New Year, and special occasions, including official openings of business establishments and offices.

The Legend Behind the Lion Dance

The Lion Dance has a very interesting story. A long time ago, there was a monstrous creature called the Nien that would ruin the fields, including the farmers’ crops and livestock. This great devastation would happen every year, on Chinese New Year Eve. The villagers finally made a plan to stop the animal’s ravaging. With bamboo and paper, the villagers created a frightening model of an animal. Accompanied by the loud banging of drums, they operated it like a puppet to frighten the Nien. This inventive and clever plan by the villagers completely drove off the Nien and brought success.

Henceforth, the Chinese believed that the lion brings luck, and so the Lion Dance is performed annually during the Chinese New Year to celebrate good fortune. The perfect place and time to watch Lion Dance performances is in Chinatown on New Year’s オンライン カジノ Eve.

Lion Dance and Dragon Dance

Oftentimes, the Lion Dance is mistaken for the Dragon Dance. However, you can easily differentiate the two by the number of people that operates the costume: there are two people that operate the lion, while more people are needed to operate the dragon. In addition to that, you cannot see the performers in a Lion Dance as they are covered by the costume. In contrast, the performers in a Dragon Dance can be seen as they hold and move their costume using long poles. Additionally, the basic movements in Lion Dance are derived from Chinese martial arts.