Lion dance (simplified Chinese: 舞狮; traditional Chinese: 舞獅; pinyin: wǔshī) is a form of traditional dance in Chinese culture, in which performers mimic a lion's movements in a lion costume. The lion dance is often mistakenly referred to as dragon dance. An easy way to tell the difference is that a lion is operated by two people, while a dragon needs many people. Also, in a lion dance, the performers' faces are covered, since they are inside the lion. In a dragon dance, the performers can be seen since the dragon is held upon poles. Basic lion dance fundamental movements can be found in most Chinese martial arts.
Lion Dance is performed accompanied by the music of beating of drums, cymbals, and gongs instruments synchronise to the lion dance movements and actions.
Local expertise are available in making the "lion" costumes and musical instruments without having to import them from China, only in Malaysia. Elsewhere, the lion dance costumes used in these performances can only be custom made in speciality craft shops in rural parts of China and have to be imported at considerable expense for most foreign countries outside Asia.
The dragon dance is usually performed during Chinese New Year, Chinese weddings or other festivals and celebrations.
To watch a performance of a stunning performance of the lion dance, click HERE.
Fun fact:
There are now iPhone/iPod Touch/iPad applications that allow you to play sounds of the drum which accompanies the lion dance performance.
Chinese Opera
Chinese opera is not really a dance, but it involves dance, mime and acrobatics, as well as music and vocal performance. It is a popular form of drama and musical theatre in China with roots going back as far as the third century CE.
The history of Chinese opera can be found HERE
Most of the Chinese opera performances in Malaysia follow the style of the Peking opera.
The action on stage is usually visible from at least three sides. The stage is divided into two parts by an embroidered curtain called a shoujiu.
Plays will alternate between civil and martial scenes, or scenes involve protagonists and antagonists.
Due to the scarcity of props in Peking opera, costumes take on added importance. Costumes function first to distinguish the rank of the character being played.
Fun fact:
Due to the scarcity of props in Peking opera, costumes take on added importance. Costumes function first to distinguish the rank of the character being played. Emperors and their families wear yellow robes, and high ranking officials wear purple. The robe worn by these two classes is called a mang, or python robe. It is a costume suitable for the high rank of the character, featuring brilliant colors and rich embroidery, often in the design of a dragon. Persons of high rank or virtue wear red , lower ranking officials wear blue, young characters wear white, the old wear white, brown, or olive, and all other men wear black.
To listen to a sample of the Chinese (In Cantonese) opera performance, please click HERE.
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Content source (edited by author):
Lion Dance - Wikipedia
Chinese Opera - Wikipedia
Peking Opera - Wikipedia
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