Lion Dance 2009

Our talented dancers and musicians will perform the Lion Dance for merchants and the public along Winslow Way, and will lead the parade at noon.

The Mythological Chinese Lion represents strength, wisdom, and good luck. It drives away evil spirits, and spreads the blessings of heaven to people on earth. Dating back some one thousand years, the Lion Dance has evolved into many variations of highly skilled and physically demanding routines.

In modern times, the Lion Dance is performed on Chinese New Year’s Day to bring good luck and prosperity. It is especially important for a business to sponsor a lion dance specifically for them. In Chinese cultures, the Lion Dance is often seen at the opening of a new business, a wedding, a parade, or the ground-breaking for a new building.

All our Lion Dancers and percussion players are volunteers from Bainbridge Island. We are grateful for their commitment of time and effort in learning the intricacies of this tradition. The dancers must match their movements carefully with the sounds produced by drum, gong, and cymbal. Each step is synchronized with the music in tempo and intensity.

Many merchants in Winslow are eager to sponsor the Lion Dance for their businesses. After each dance, the merchant feeds the lion by tying fresh leafy greens to the tip of a long pole. Hidden amongst the greens is a Hung Bao, the red envelope containing the gift of money from the merchant to the lion. The lion then performs the “eating of the green,” dropping the leaves around, symbolizing the spreading of the wealth.

Your hearty applause after each dance rewards our volunteer lion dancers and their contribution to the people of Bainbridge Island.