further zoo

face changing dance

lion watching atop Daddys' shoulders

Ever since the long weekend of Chinese New Year we have been spotting flat bed trucks decked with flags and carrying exhausted lion dancers all over town. On the new year itself a truck stopped in front of our house, a large drum announcing its presence. Two men with purses jumped out and went door to door presumably looking for business (the lions ward off bad spirits I think) while dancers literally slept head on knees in the back. We heard the drums all weekend but never saw a dance. We finally saw a lion dance - the day we went to the zoo with K - and it was well worth the wait. The performance was INCREDIBLY athletic, no wonder the dancers are exhausted. I was expecting a bit of head and tail wagging but the lion immediately jumped up on tall platforms (I assumed were decorative ) and proceeded to hop, and leap and 'fall' over the side. The strength that must be required is boggling. Also impressive was the 'face changing dance' that proceeded the lion dance. An intense fellow changed his fierce mask with a barely perceptible nod at least 15 times. I have never heard of this before, but I have heard, and could be totally wrong that lion dancers used to be part of organized crime. Have been told, by people who know about as much as I do, if you did not pay handsomely for a lion to ward of evil any new venture would surely fail.