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Dragon Dance
(04)
...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 3Kg, the body pieces are a light aluminum 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.
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", Tai-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 spiraled 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.
Trivia
: An offshoot of the dragon
dance is the fish dance, where the dragon body is replaced by
individual fishes. The lead fish is often much larger and its head is
similar to that of a dragon.
The costumes used in these
celebrations are often made in specialty craft shops in rural China
and imported at considerable expense using funds raised through
subscriptions and pledges by members of local cultural and business
societies. the dance started in 1874.
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