: : A bit more on CNY celebrations : :
Phui : Better that we get someone to do liondance at our office! Bring better luck!
Wena : Choi! U want to give RM100 angpow cannnnnnnnnnn……
Phui : …
Now what is Chinese New Year (CNY) without the famous liondance? All little children look forward to the colourful costumes and spectacular kung fu movements and twitching eyelids as it moves up and down. Some children will cry but most will stand in awe of this dance. They would pester their parents to arrange for the liondance troup to come to the house and perform. Depending on how much one is willing to pay for the performance, one can get a longer performance. Modern day children will now pester their parents to get them VCDs showing liondance performances, especially movies of the annual lion dance competition held annually, usually at Genting. This year, I don’t know where it is being held.
Growing up in Miri, I used to see lorries carrying the troupe with the drums, gong, cymbals and costumes, travelling everywhere where there are required. They will also go to the houses of ministers as well as the rich timber tycoons and businessmen.
The stunts would include opening a mandarin orange, opening a banner and jumping up and down from a platform or a bench. It takes two people to do the dance : one is the head and the other is the butt end of the body. There is also another person who wears this huge mask of a bald headed grinning men who is out to tease the lions.
Of recent years, schoolchildren are also performing liondances as a way to collect donations. Previously, the liondances were performed by Wushu Associations and Chinese Clan associations.
There are shops selling miniature lionheads that are the favourite of children. They will bring them out and try to perform with the bigger lion performers on the day itself, much to the amusement of elders. These are usually very cheap whereas the actual liondance costumes will range in thousands of ringgits. If I remember correctly, there is a famous costumemaker either in Malacca or Ipoh. Can’t remember as it was a few years ago when I saw that particular documentary on TV.
If you want to find out more about Chinese traditions, during CNY, Renee has put up a lot of postings on it at her shiokalicious site. Have a fun read!