The Lion Dance

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that the Lion Dancing is a unique art form from China traditionally thought to bring happiness, good luck, prosperity and longevity. The author points out that the Lion Dance is performed during celebrations such as the Chinese New Year and the August Moon Festival and at grand openings of restaurants, martial arts school and other businesses. The paper relates that it might have originated during the Tang dynasty (618-907 AD) when, according to legend, the emperor dreamt he was attacked by demons but was saved by a mysterious creature, a lion.

Table of Contents:
Lion Dancing and Revolution
Elements of Lion Dancing
Lion Dancing Routines
Choi Chiang "Get the Green"

From the Paper:

"Lion dancing has long been associated with kung fu, an association that dates back to the Ching dynasty, when revolutionary martial artists used the dance as a secret means of communication. Under the guise of celebration, revolutionary martial artists traveled from village to village performing the lion dance. As part of the routine the dancing lion woould eat lettuce which often contained money and information hidden within its leaves. In revolutionary days, the dancer holding the lion's head would cry out choi ching ("get the Ching") to signal that he was a fellow revolutionary and could receive secret messages. Of course, any Ching informers present would know the dancer's intention upon hearing the battlecry. Since ching was very close in sound to chiang (meaning green, as in lettuce and money), the lion dancer's password became choi chiang or "get the green.""

More papers on The Lion Dance:

• Analytical Essay # 127521 : "Staging "The Lion King"
• Essay # 36955 : "The Lion In Winter"
• Analytical Essay # 42541 : "The Lion and the Jewel"

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