Dragon dance

Dragon dance

Dragon dance (simplified Chinese: 舞龙; traditional Chinese: 舞龍; pinyin: wǔ lóng) is a form of traditional dance and performance in Chinese culture. Like the lion dance it is most often seen in festive celebrations. Many Chinese people often use the term "Descendants of the Dragon" (龍的傳人 or 龙的传人, lóng de chuán rén) as a sign of ethnic identity, as part of a trend started in the 1970s. Another derivation is from (農的傳人) i.e. the descendants of Shennong, the legendary first king of the Chinese people who taught them agriculture, law and medicine, the foundations of civilization.

The dance team mimics the supposed movements of this river spirit in a sinuous, undulating manner. The movements in a performance traditionally symbolise historical roles of dragons demonstrating power and dignity. The dragon dance is a highlight of Chinese New Year celebrations held worldwide in Chinatowns around the world.[citation needed]

Dragons are believed to bring good luck to people, which is reflected in their qualities that include great power, dignity, fertility, wisdom and auspiciousness. The appearance of a dragon is both frightening and bold but it has a benevolent disposition, and so eventually became an emblem to represent imperial authority.

The head of dragon dance costume

A dragon dance is performed alongside a lion dance during the 2008 Summer Olympics torch relay in San Francisco in April

Lion dances originated in India along with Buddhist lore and ritual. The popular form of lion dancing today's Chinese culture evolved in China, though several countries throughout the Asian region, including Japan, have developed their own styles of lion dance through the centuries.

The Dragon Dance itself originated during the Han Dynasty and was started by the Chinese who had shown great belief and respect towards the dragon. It is believed to have begun as part of the farming and harvest culture, also with origins as a method of healing and preventing sickness. It was already a popular event during the Song Dynasty where it had become a folk activity and like the lion dance, was most often seen in festive celebrations.[1]

As the dragon gives people a feeling of great respect, it is often called the Sacred Dragon. The emperors of ancient China considered themselves as the dragon. The Dragon is also the emblem of Imperial Authority. It symbolizes supernatural power, goodness, fertility, vigilance and dignity.

In the Qing Dynasty, the Dragon Dance team of the province of Foochow had been invited to perform in Peking and had been greatly praised and admired by the Qing Emperor, which earned great fame for the team.

Performance

The dragon dance is performed by a skilled team whose job is to bring the motionless body to life. The dragon itself is a long serpent shaped body on poles, assembled by joining the series of hoops on each section and attaching the ornamental head and tail pieces at the ends. Traditionally, dragons were constructed of wood, with bamboo hoops on the inside and covered with a rich fabric, however in the modern era lighter materials such as aluminium and plastics have replaced the wood and heavy material.

Dragons can range in length from around 25 to 35 meters for the more acrobatic models, and up to 50 to 70 meters for the largest, parade and ceremonial styles, since part of the myth of the dragon is that the longer the creature, the more luck it will bring. The size and length of a dragon depend on the human power available, financial power, materials, skills and size of the field. Its length typically ranges from 9 sections to 15 sections long, though some dragons are as long as 46 sections.

A small organization cannot afford to run a very long dragon because it consumes great human power, great expenses and special skills which are difficult to manage. The normal length and size of the body recommended for the dragon is 112 feet (34 meters) and is divided into 9 major sections. The distance of each minor (rib-like) section is 14 inches apart; therefore, the body has 81 rings. History tells us that the dragon dance is performed in various ways, types and colors. Green is sometimes selected as a main color of the dragon, which symbolizes a great harvest. Other colors include: yellow symbolizing the solemn empire, golden or silver colors symbolizing prosperity, red color representing excitement while its scales and tail are mostly beautiful silver colors and glittering at all times which provides a feeling of joyous atmosphere. As the Dragon dance is not performed every day, the cloth of the dragon is to be removed and to have a new touch of ultra-paint before the next performance.

The correct combination and proper timing of the different parts of the dragon are very important to make a successful dance. Any mistakes made by even some of the performers would spoil the whole performance. To be very successful in the dance, the head of the Dragon must be able to co-operate with the body in combination with the timing of the drum. For larger ceremonial and parade style dragons, the head can weigh as much as 12 katis (14.4 kg, almost 32 lb). The dragon tail also has an important role to play as it will have to keep in time with head movements. The fifth section is considered to be the middle portion and the performers must be very alert as the body movements change from time to time.

In competition performances however, there are strict rules governing the specifications of the dragon body and the routine performed, and so dragons made for these events and what are mostly seen in the impressive stage shows are made for speed and agility, to be used by the performing team for maximum trick difficulty. In these dragons, the head is smaller and light enough to be whipped around, and must be a minimum of 3 kg, the body pieces are a light aluminium with cane and the majority of the hoops will be very thin PVC tubing. Performances are typically made into 8-10 minute routines with an accompanying percussion set.

A double dragon dance, rarely seen in Western exhibitions, involves two troupes of dancers intertwining the dragons. Even rarer are dances with the full array of nine dragons, since nine is a "perfect" number. Such dances involve large number of participants from various organizations, and are often only possible under the auspices of the greater community.

The patterns of the dragon dance are choreographed according to the skills and experiences acquired by the performers. Some of the patterns of the dragon dance are "Cloud Cave", "Whirlpool", T'ai chi pattern, "threading the money", "looking for pearl", and "dragon encircling the pillar". The movement "dragon chasing the pearl" shows that the dragon is continually in the pursuit of wisdom.

The dragon moves in a wave-like pattern achieved by the co-ordinated swinging of each section in succession. Whilst this swinging constitutes the basic movement of the dragon, executing more complex formations is only limited by a team’s creativity. The patterns and tricks that are performed generally involve running into spiralled formations to make the dragon body turn and twist on itself. This causes performers to jump over or through the dragon’s body sections, adding to the visual display. Other advanced manoeuvres include various corkscrew-like rotating tricks and more acrobatic moves where the performers stand on each others legs and shoulders to increase the height of the dragon’s movements.

Performing in a dragon dance team incorporates several elements and skills; it is something of a cross-over activity, combining the training and mentality of a sports team with the stagecraft and flair of a performing arts troupe. The basic skills are simple to learn, however to become a competent performer takes dedicated training until movements become second nature and complex formations can be achieved – which rely not only on the skill of the individual member, but on concentration by the team as a whole to move in co-operation.

In literature

Lawrence Ferlinghetti's poem "The Great Chinese Dragon", published in his 1961 anthology Starting from San Francisco was inspired by the dragon dance. Gregory Stephenson says the dragon "… represents 'the force and mystery of life,' the true sight that 'sees the spiritual everywhere translucent in the material world.'" Earl Lovelace's novel "The dragon can't dance" uses the theme of the Carnival dance to explore social change and history in the West Indies.

The Dragon Dance

Enticing the Dragon Dragons are of course legendary animals, but they are important to Chinese people who think of dragons as helpful, friendly creatures. They are linked to good luck, long life and wisdom. They are nothing like the fierce, fire-breathing Western dragons that carry off princesses and eat people. Chinese Dragons are associated with storm clouds and life-giving rain. They have special powers so they can fly in the air, swim in the sea and walk on land. The Dragon has features of other animals such as the horns of a stag, the scales of a fish and the footpads of a tiger.

Chasing the 'Pearl of Wisdom' Dragon dances are performed at New Year to scare away evil spirits. During the dance the performers hold poles and raise and lower the Dragon. Sometimes one man has a 'Pearl of Wisdom' on a pole and he entices the Dragon to follow him to the beat of a drum, as if searching for wisdom and knowledge.

Dragons used in Dragon dances vary in length from a few metres to up to 100m long. Longer Dragons are thought to be more lucky than shorter ones. The dances can be performed either during the day or night, but at night a blazing torch will be carried to light the way.

The Legend of The Nine Dragons

The mainland overlooking Hong Kong is called Kowloon, which means Nine Dragons. Legend states the mainland was named this by a Chinese Emperor who fled there after the Sung Dynasty. Originally, he named it after the eight hills predominantly located on the land. His servant observed that the Emperor should also be counted among the regal figures. Hence, the "Gau-lung" or Nine Dragons nomenclature was born.

Characteristics of the Nine Dragons:

P'u-lao:

Alerts one to danger, and serves as a protector. Often engraved on bells, sacred singing bowls, and gongs.

Ch'iu-niu:

Creator of Yang energy through the use of ancient dragon music.

Pi-his:

Provider of knowledge, luck and upholds the virtue of finer education.

Pa-hsia:

Provider of strength and support when called upon during times of need.

Chao-feng:

Guardian of the holy places, sacred lands, and holy temples.

Chih wen:

Symbolizes the power of water over fire.

Suan-ni:

Mighty protector and emblem against theft, loss or betrayal of any kind.

Yai-tzu:

Protector and guardian against any physical harm.

Pi-kau:

Defends again litigation, verbal disputes, or false accusations.

The history of the Dragon Dance can be dated back to the Han Dynasty (180-230 AD) in ancient China and, like the lion dance, plays an important part in Chinese culture. The Dragon itself has always been regarded as a Sacred creature, symbolising power, courage, righteousness and dignity amongst others. For this reason, the Chinese show great respect towards the dragon, and have always referred themselves as being Descendants of the Dragon as a sign of ethnic identity.

The dance signifies the end of the year and welcoming a new start, driving away evil spirits, bringing good luck and fortune to the people.

The Dragon Dance has always been a great spectacle to watch and is usually performed on big occasions or grand openings, especially during the festive Chinese New Year (or Lunar New Year) celebrations.

The Dance

A Dragon Dance requires many dancers due to its sheer size and length. The number of dancers vary depending on a number of factors, including human resources, financial power, skills and the space available. The size can range from the recommended 112 feet (9 people) or more. The same musical instruments for lion dancing are used to accompany the dragon's movements, which includes the drum, cymbals and a gong.

In order to make a Dragon Dance successful and entertaining, the dancers must properly coordinate their movements with each other, thus correct timing is crucial to avoid tangling up or falling over. A mistake from any one person can disrupt other dancers as this creates a "ripple effect", which would spoil the performance. Equally important is the precise timing between the Pearl, Dragon's head and the tail. The Pearl initiates the pattern of moves for the Dragon's head and body, whilst the tail keeps in time with the head movements.

The movements are based on footwork and hand coordination to execute different combination of patterns. Each team member must be able to leap, crouch and change the direction and pace of movements, requiring discipline, stamina and a substantial amount of practice.

Every Chinese New Year Parade ends with a Dragon Dance. The parades start on New Year's Day and continue for the next fifteen days until the end of the festivities with the Lantern Festival.

The Dragon Parade is a highlight of the festivities. The Dragon represents wisdom, power, and wealth and a very important aspect of Chinese Culture. It is also said that the Dragon Dance performed on New Year's Day scares away the evil spirits and all the bad luck with them...

During the Dance, a dozen or so performers hold the dragon up on poles. They raise and lower the Dragon making him "dance" as they wind through the masses to the sounds of horns, drums and gongs.

The Chinese Dragon Parade is customarily performed along with Lion Dancers, acrobats, kung fu performers, and of course, the drums and horns, all ending in a burst of firecrackers!

The frame of the Dragon itself was traditionally made of wood or bamboo, covered with material. Nowadays, lighter materials are used, such as aluminum and plastics.

For the Chinese Dragon costume, different colors can be chosen. The main body of the serpent could be green, for a great harvest, or yellow, to represent the empire; golden and silver colors symbolize prosperity, and red denote the excitement and good fortune of the festivities.

Dragons vary in length, some reaching up to 100 meters long! It is believed that the longer the Dragon is, the more luck it will bring!

Sometimes the Dragon follows a man carrying a ball on a stick. This is the "Pearl of Wisdom". It is said that the Dragon chasing this "pearl of wisdom" represents the Dragon's way to pursue insight and knowledge.

During Chinese New Year, sometimes it is a red or yellow globe, which is supposed to be the sun as the festival celebrates the spring rains and the sun for a good harvest.

China is the most populous country in the world. Wherever there are Chinese people, there are "dragons" regarded as mascots. For over 2,000 years, the dragon has turned from a symbol of deity, emperor and imperial power into a symbol of the rising Chinese nation. The Dragon Dance, accordingly, has been elevated from asking for God and rain to expressing people's courage, pride and wisdom.

The Dragon Dance has diversified models and forms. The dragon is a totem of the Chinese nation. The farming tribes worship it very much. People think dragons can make clouds and bring them rain. Playing dragon dances in the spring will hopefully bring people favorable weather; playing in dry seasons will bring them rain; playing to different families will drive ghosts out. Therefore, the custom goes on.

The dragons are made into different forms, such as the cloth dragon, the grass dragon, the fire dragon and the segment dragon. The play is accordingly different. The cloth dragon has a separate dragon head and body, which is connected with cloth. The longer the dragon is, the more performers there are. One person uses a pearl-like thing to lead the dragon. The dragon will rise or fall, slowly or rapidly. Sometimes, it flies up to the sky, and sometimes it is like hiding under the ocean and breaking waves. The fire dragon is made with candles put into each section of the dragon body. When performed at night, firecrackers are set off. We see an extremely excellent scene of the fire dragon shuttling back and forth among fireworks. The grass dragon, also called "burning incense dragon", is made from rice straw and green vines, with burning incenses inserted into it. Played during summer nights, the dragon is like a meteor attracting a lot of insects. When the play is over, the dragon is put into a pool to drown the insects. Therefore, playing with the grass dragon helps get rid of insects.

Usually, the Dragon Dance is performed by many people with specially made stage props in their hands. At first, they sing and dance, like butterflies among flowers. Then, they turn the stage props to form the head and tail of a dragon with some pieces of the lotus-like tools entering the dragon's body. When the dragon shoots into the sky, the audience feels the elegance and uniqueness of the dance.