舞狮Lion Dance

舞狮Lion Dance

一、Introduction of Lion Dance

Lion dance is a folk performing art performed by one or two persons in lion costumes. According to records, the dance, with a long history of more than 2,000 years, was introduced to the royal family as a form of entertainment during Tang Dynasty. Skill is given top priority in performing the lion dance and performers are required to imitate various expressions and movements of lions in an exaggerated way. After thousands years of development, diverse performing characteristics in different regions have been formed. In the traditional Chinese custom the lion is regarded as a mascot that wards off misfortunes and brings good luck. Therefore, during festivals and grand ceremonies, people would perform lion dance to create a happy and exciting atmosphere.

China is home to the Dragon Dance and Lion Dance. The two performances have been welcomed by people from various ethnic groups for generations. These activities thrive and have formed a glorious dragon and lion dancing culture. Many young people know that the dragon dance and lion dance are performed during festivals such as Spring Festival, Spring Festival fairs and celebrations. But they don’t know that after several thousand years the two activities have accumulated thick historical cultures and are extremely valuable cultural heritages handed down from Chinese people’s ancestors.

Lion dance is a form of traditional dance in China, which can be often seen in i mportant festivals andgreat events. With a history of over 1,000 years, liondance can date back to the Three Kingdoms Period. There are usually two performers in lion dan ce, onehandling the lion's head, and the other playing thebody and the tail. They perfo rm all kinds of lion'smovements to the music played by gongs and drums. As the Chi nese migrate abroad, liondance is famous all over the world, especially in Southeast A sian countries; however, eachcountry and region has its own dancing style.

It is said that the lion dance in China originated in the Southern and Northern Dynasties with a history of more than one thousand years. The lions represent joy and

happiness. From the fourth day to the fifteenth of the New Year, lion dance groups would tour from village to village in ancient China. The lion itself consists of a head and a body. Every lion was made up of two Kung Fu martial artists qualified with a solid skill in Kung Fu. During the lion dance, music is played and each of the lion's moods and moves has its own rhythm.

Mighty and splendid, the Lion Dance features rigid movement and various expressions. There are many different versions of the Lion Dance. Some use fables and some are related to history, adding a mysterious element to the Lion Dance. People believe that lions are auspicious animals and that the accompanying dance can bring good luck. So, during Spring Festival and other celebrations, the Lion Dance is often performed to beating drums, gongs and firecrackers to pray for good luck. The Lion Dance can be traced back to the Three Kingdoms period and became popular in the Southern and Northern Dynasties. It has a history of more than 1,000 years.

1. 舞狮(lion dance)是一种由一人或两人身披狮型服装(lion costume)进行表演的民间表演艺术。据记载，舞狮有两千多年的悠久历史，在唐朝时被引入皇室，成为皇室的娱乐项目。舞狮最注重的是技巧，舞狮者要以夸张的方式模仿狮子的各种表情和动作。经过几千年的发展，舞狮已经在各地形成了不同的表演特色。在中国的传统风俗中，狮子是一种可以去除灾难、带来幸运的吉祥物(mascot)。因此，每逢节日或隆重的庆典，人们都以舞狮来营造欢乐和热闹的气氛。

2. 中国是龙狮运动的发源地。舞龙、舞狮自问世以来，一直深受各族人民的喜爱，历代相传，长盛不衰，并由此形成了灿烂的龙狮文化。长期以来，很多青年朋友都以为龙舞、狮舞就是春节、庙会、庆典时的喜庆表演，殊不知它历经了几千年的传承流变，积淀了深厚的历史文化，是祖先留给我们的极其宝贵的文化遗产。

3. 舞狮(lion dance)是中国的一种传统舞蹈形式，在重大节日和隆重活动中经常可以看到。舞狮起源于三国时期(the Three Kingdoms Period)，至今已有1000多年的历史。舞狮一般由两人表演，一人舞狮头，另一人舞狮身和狮尾。表演者在锣鼓(gongs and drums)音乐的伴奏下，表演狮子的各种动作。舞狮随着华人移居海外而闻名世界，尤其是在东南亚国家，但每一个国家和地区都有自己的舞狮