Southern Lion Dance

       The Southern Lion Dance has become famous all over the world since many Chinese have been immigrated to different countries. The Southern Lion Dance is a form of traditional dance in Chinese culture. Guangdong, the province where I grew up, is the homeland of the Chinese southern style lion dance. The Southern Lion Dance is a part of regional culture in China that has fifteen hundred years of history. In the meanwhile, it is also popular with foreigners, but they simplify it in their countries. Therefore, I have missed Chinese traditional southern lion dance because of the long tradition, peoples’ passion about the event and exciting atmosphere that surrounds it.

       The Southern Lion Dance is an excellent example folk art that has been celebrated at the opening of stores and at most festivals. For new stores, having a team of southern lions dancing in front of their store means their business will be increasing soon. In addition, The Southern Lion Dance is a symbol of having a better life, happiness and blessing in most festivals. Therefore, Chinese people like to hire a team of The Southern Lion Dance to join atmosphere at festival. The traditional formal lion dance has three main characters, one that handles the lion’s head, and the others handle the body and tail. They imitate the lion’s emotion and action following the music. Also, costumes are very rigor. The costumes for southern lion dance are handmade by Chinese women. Thus, every step sends out Chinese unique traditional characteristic. In the U.S., people simplify and skip a lot of steps, for example, “cai qing” which is a most important part in The Southern Lion Dance, and Americans skip it for securely problems. Also, Americans had to use costumes which are made by machines because it is cheaper and easier are found in stores.

       Chinese people are full of enthusiasm regarding The Southern Lion Dance in China. There are many southern lion dance schools in China, and young people like learn it as a hobby. On the contrary, it is hard to find someone that really loves Chinese traditional lion dance in the U.S., and the most Chinese-Americans are not interested in learning The Southern Lion Dance. They prefer to learn Hip-Hop or Salsa. Apart from that, people in other countries who would like to learn southern lion dance are more passionate than Chinese-Americans, but if foreigners perform The Southern Lion Dance, they may lack the Chinese characteristics because they are not familiar with particular customs. Another reason that Chinese-Americans decrease southern lion dance’s interest, for they do not have holiday in Chinese festival in the U.S. Therefore, the knowledge of The Southern Lion Dance is decreasing outside of China.

Enjoying southern lion dance’s atmosphere inseparable intensive music and crowding. People who perform the traditional southern lion dance use the same music instruments as in China that include gongs, drums, cymbals, gaohu and souna. Watching the southern lion dance is not good entertainment because lots of people circle southern lion dance team and everyone just gets little space. However, the music and crowded atmosphere make people feel excited and people can’t move your eyes from southern lion dance. Otherwise, enjoying southern lion dance in the U.S. is more comfortable than in China because the American government will make protective measures that mostly situations are lockout streets in order to separate people with the show, but people can’t appreciate the real atmosphere of southern lion dance.

Hence, since I moved to the U.S., what is lost in translation for me is that I wish I could enjoy the traditional southern lion dance at an authentic atmosphere. It is lacking the Chinese version, even though it is popular all over the world. For this reason, Chinese immigrants need to be aware of The Southern Lion Dance’s gradual disappearance, if Chinese immigrations do not pay attention. I hope that I can do my best to protect this ethnic culture, even though I am in a foreign land.