Today, February 14, 2010 is the Lunar New Year (also called the Chinese New Year), celebrated broadly across Asia in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore, Malaysia, as well as Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, Laos, and Vietnam, Korea, Tibet, Mongolia, and Bhutan. It is also celebrated elsewhere in Chinese overseas communities. One of the most characteristic festivities of the day (besides lots of feasting and merry-making) is the lion dance.
The lion dance is typically performed by a pair of brightly-attired dancers, one of whom wears the lion's head and the other who brings up the rear. (There is also a dragon dance in which multiple dancers make up the winding body of the dragon.) Accompanied by percussion instruments and firecrackers, the movements of the dancers are rooted in the martial arts and the dancers themselves often represent different martial arts schools. The lion dance has different meanings: to bring good luck or to frighten away evil spirits.
Here are some links to YouTube videos of lion dance performances. The last link is an example of an updated hip-hop version of the lion dance.
Happy Year of the Tiger!
