Costumes & Music
The costumes in a lion dance consists of a lion head and 2 dancers with matching fur pants to complete it. The music in the lion dance is normally loud, lively and fast, attracting attention from a far distance.
Lion's Head
It is created using paper mache that covers the strips of bamboo forming the structure of the lion. It is then finished with reflective laser paper, sequins, fur and paint.
The fur is often made from sheepskin or rabbit fur and never uses synthetic materials, so the fur looks real and soft. These decorate the lion and the lions are also painted in different colours that signify different things. Red is for good luck, yellow is for good fortune, green is for money and blue would usually be used at funerals because it is a darker colour.
How is it made?
The process of making the lion head can take up to 7 days to finish one head from scratch.
The process starts by building the structure that is made from bamboo and rattan, after which paper mache will be plastered over the frame to create the surface of the structure. The eyes and ears are then rigged to allow the dancer to blink and move them, and the head is painted, lacquered and decorated with the fur. Some lion heads can be used up to 2 years while some can break easily within a few days, resulting in dangerous splinters where the dancers can injure themselves
A lion head needs to be sturdy and durable. The bamboo strips need to be smooth in order to avoid it breaking the paper.
The shape of the lion head needs to be proportionate to show a mighty look, and it is often led or teased by a big-headed doll. The blinking eyes and flapping ears are both controlled by strings that the dancer will use, while also using their hand to control the mouth flap as well. It takes a lot of practice to show the lion’s expressions while performing as it is not an easy task.
The lion heads normally weigh about 2kg and costs about $1000.
Costume's of the Lion Dancers
The lion head is matched with the dancer’s fur pants and shoes so that the costume looks complete and not out of place.
eye dotting ceremony
Before the lion can perform, a christening ceremony called the “Dianjing” or “dotting the eyes” is required. A person of a certain social status will dot the lion’s head and body in 8 key areas with each element in the costume marked.
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Heavenly bell: “Excellence for all ages”
Eyes: “Vision bright and clear”
Nose: “Energy flows”
Mouth: “Roar in all directions”
Ears: “Hear up to 10,000 miles”
Horn: “Tower of strength”
Body: “The gods reside”
Tail: Inexhaustible might”
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Northern vs southern lion
Southern Lion
There are 2 main groups of Southern Lions. Hok San lions have a straight mouth, a curved horn and a short tail, while the Fat San lions have a curved mouth, a pointed horn and a long tail. Its body, also known as the lion blanket is a form of cloth that is painted with stripes that drapes over the dancers to allow them to dance freely.
Nothern Lion
The lion heads are made of wood that makes the lions look scarier and mighty as these lions were used to ward off the “Nian”. The lion is covered with long fur that is usually golden or red and the dancers will be in costumes that have the same design as the lion.
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The main differences of the lions from both Southern and Northern lion dance is the appearance of the lions. For Northern lions, it has long fur that is usually in red or gold and the dancer’s legs are exposed while Southern lions are painted in bright colours and have the lion blanket to cover the dancers.