Movements
Buckle up, as you embark on a ride to learn about the movements in lion dance! You will be discovering more about the different types of lion dance genres, the elements of a typical lion dance routine, and the different methods of lion dance.
northern vs southern lion dance
Southern Lion Dance
This type of lion dance performance is based off a real lion’s behaviour and movements, like actions like scratching, shaking of the body, and licking of fur. The movements in this lion dance are not too lifelike, however it displays the nature of a lion through techniques that are different from those used in Northern lion dance.
Futsan Lion
It was the first lion to be created in China, and it involves rough and big movements in this type of lion dance.
Hoksan Lion
Created after the futsan lion, the hoksan lion dance incorporated movements based on how a cat chases a mouse, a characteristic unique to the hoksan lion dance since the futsan lion dance does not have any animal based movements.
Futthock Lion
Created by Singaporeans, the Futtock lion dance is a combination of both futsan and hoksan lion dances, aka what we recognise as the typical lion dance in Singapore now.
Lion's Walk
It is the majority and important part of a public performance. To ‘wake up’, the dancers would jump up and lift the lion head up high, tilting it from side to side to the beat of the drums.
They would then bow 3 times as the drums roll, and start to ‘explore’. The lion walks slowly and carefully, with intricate footwork. They take notice of their audience and interact with them, eg. “eating” the spectator’s head.
Choy Cheng Ceremony
This is where the team usually gets the money, which is in a red packet tied to a lettuce or some sort of green vegetable and hung up in a high place where it is hard to reach.
The dancers would ‘inspect’ the food then jump back, repeating this a few times from different angles. The climax is when the lion is “eating” the lettuce, moving the mouth flaps of the lion head to mimic chewing motions. Once the lion “eats” the lettuce, it swallows some on each side then spits a small amount from each side to the audience when the cymbals clash, which is considered good luck.
The lion then turns towards the entrance and spits out the rest of the lettuce, kicking it up in the air. The lettuce scatters and lands past the entrance into the space, which is once again considered good luck.
There are also times where oranges are provided in the platter of ‘food’ during the Choy Cheng ceremony, during which the lion dancers will also need to peel, and oftentimes will use the orange slices to spell out chinese characters symbolising good luck and prosperity.
When the routine is coming to an end, the dancers will once again bow the lion head 3 times to the rolling drums, and go back to ‘sleep’.
Paying Homage (Bai Sun)
This is done when encountering a Chinese altar. The altar has a fruit offering (usually oranges or red apples) and the lion, after performing a specific sequence of ritual bows to reach the altar, will perform the ritual on the altar. The lion retreats from the altar performing another specific sequence of ritual bows.
Kung Fu Demostrations
This is an optional addition to the routine, where the lion stops and showcases a series of performances of traditional Choy Lee Fut kung fu by the members of the troupe. Each performance is tailored to the performing space and usually includes both fist forms and weapons demonstrations.
ELEMENTS OF LION DANCE ROUTINE
Different methods of lion dance
Freestyle
Method
Created after the futsan lion, the hoksan lion dance incorporated movements based on how a cat chases a mouse, a characteristic unique to the hoksan lion dance since the futsan lion dance does not have any animal based movements.
Routine Set
Routine
Set
A routine set is the usual lion dance performance we see in secondary school assemblies, where all the steps, movements, music and tricks have already been planned beforehand.