The Lincoln Lion Dancers
The lion dance started in ancient China as a quasi-religious ritual before Buddhism between two and three thousand years ago. It was a ritual to invoke the spirits of nature and to invoke certain animals. Buddhism’s influence from India introduced the lion to the dance. There are two styles; the Northern which is more true to its original form and the Southern which is more stylized and formal. This southern style became a part of Buddhist rituals but is rarely used as a religious ritual anymore. Southern dance is more symbolic. It is usually performed as a ceremony to exorcise evil spirits and to summon luck and fortune. The southern lion exhibits a wide variety of color and has a distinctive head with large eyes, a mirror on the forehead, and a single horn at center of the head.
The southern style involved martial arts and the dance was used to show the martial art skills of the dancers. The type of lion dancing seen in Lincoln is the southern style. A lion dance can involve as many as one hundred people and can have very expensive and complex lion heads. In Lincoln the troupe consists of about twenty dancers that range in age from 8 to 30 year olds. The dancers come from many different backgrounds and ethnicities that widen the cultural experience for participants in this unique dance form.
The troupe started in 1993 and has performed in many cities in Nebraska, Iowa, and South Dakota. The busiest time of year is during the Luna New Year when business, restaurants, schools invite them to come and spread good luck for the next year. There is a lion dance in which the lion eats a head of lettuce held on a stick by a monk (dancer) at the beginning of an event to bring blessings to the audience. The dance troupe has about fifty different dances to choose from and is always researching new modern dance styles. They feel it’s very important to introduce this art to non-Asian and Asian youth who haven’t had exposure to these cultural traditions.
Some modern lion dance is more of a sports competition and it combines part of northern and southern styles. Lots of acrobatics are featured. Many lion dancers are trained in martial arts. The lion heads are made in China or Malaysia and can be obtained most easily through the internet. The internet has been very helpful in spreading information about this interesting tradition. A new lion head will go through a consecration ceremony called “the dotting of the eyes” which represents the lion’s spirit coming to life. The basic materials are bamboo, wood, papier mache, paint and varnish. The Asian center also has a dragon head made by some of the youth of Lincoln’s Asian community and can be seen through the windows of the Asian center when driving by near 27th and “O” Street. This group can be contacted through the Asian center at 477-3446 or email Marcus at djmloco@gmail.com.
