Lion and Dragon Dance

Example image - aligned to the right Founded in 1976 and based in Sydney, Chinese Youth League Lion And Dragon Dance Australia (CYLLADDA) practises both Northern and Southern (Traditional and Free-style) lion dance and have been performing in New South Wales for nearly 30 years now. The objective of our troupe is to educate the public about lion and dragon dance through performances, presentations, and interaction. We feel that knowledge and understanding is a crucial element to appreciating the Asian arts and traditions, so we would like achieve this by being visible to the community as much as possible and providing noteworthy information about lion & dragon dance and explain how it associates with Asian culture and traditions.

Lion Dance

Lion and Dragon Dance embrace the beauty, art, culture, traditions, and history of China. Gestures and movements that closely mimic the emotion of the mystical animal tell the story behind the performance. Emotions and expressions portrayed by the dancers include excitement, caution, curiosity, playful, anger, sleepiness, confusion, happiness, and sadness, to name a few. In addition to this, acrobatic skills are sometimes displayed by the dancers to add excitement to the performance. Practitioners must undergo rigorous training to develop these skills and to learn the many movements used to make the lion appear alive and strong. They must also learn to play the instruments used to accompany the lion and to direct its movements during the dance.

Training

Example image - aligned to the right It must be noted that lion dancing is an extension of the Chinese martial arts, and traditionally is always performed by martial artists. The dancers go through extensive training in the many intricate steps and body movements that form the basis of the lion dance, as well as the use of various percussion instruments and their traditional rhythms which accompany the dance. Regular troupe members meet twice a week to practice routines, refine techniques, increase strength and endurance, build community and teamwork and prepare for performances.

We train on every Saturday from 6.00-9.30pm and we welcome anyone who is keen to pursue the art of lion dancing in a safe and encouraging environment.

Performances

CYLLADDA performs year-round at a variety of events and occasions, ranging from sporting events, celebrations, to major festivals in and out of Sydney. Under the direction of chief instructor Jason Ng, CYLLADDA lion dancers have become the foremost lion dance troupe in Australia. Its members have extensive experience with performances at all types of venues from the largest 2000 Sydney Olympic Games Opening Ceremony to the smallest private function.

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