Dragon dance

Lore & Background

During the Han dynasty, different forms of the dragon dance were described in ancient texts. A rain dance performed at times of drought involved clay figures of dragons, with children or adults performing a dance. The number of dragons, their length and color, as well as the performers varied according to the time of year. Other dances involving dragons appeared in the baixi (百戲) variety shows, where performers called 'mime people' (象人) dressed as creatures including dragons. A version called 'fish-dragon extending' (魚龍曼延) was performed at the Han court to entertain foreign guests, in which a mythical beast transformed into a flounder, then to a dragon. These ancient dances do not resemble the modern dragon dance in their descriptions. Figures similar to the dragon lantern (龍燈) used during Lantern Festival were described in the Song dynasty work Dreams of Splendor of the Eastern Capital, where figures of dragon mounted for display were constructed out of grass and cloth with candle lights inside. Such dragon lanterns could be carried and paraded by performers in the street at nighttime. A wide variety of dragon dances developed in various regions in China, such as the Fenghua Cloth Dragon (奉化布龙) from Zhejiang, made with bamboo frame and covered with cloth, said to have been developed in the 1200s. A form from Tongliang County (铜梁龙舞), originating as snake totem worship, began during the Ming dynasty and became popular in the Qing dynasty. In the modern era, the government of the People's Republic of China adapted and promoted various traditional folk dances, contributing to the popularity of the current form of dragon dance now found widely in China and Chinese communities around the world. The popular form has a smaller, lighter and more manoeuvrable body, unlike the Southern Dragon which is heavier, longer and grander and designed to be paraded rather than for agile movements. Other regional dragon dances include one from Zhanjiang, Guangdong province, where the body is formed entirely of a human chain of dozens to hundreds of performers, and in Pujiang County, Zhejiang Province, where the body is formed using wooden stools.

Reader's Guide

The dragon dance holds significance as a symbol of Chinese culture, believed to bring good luck to people; the longer the dragon in the dance, the more luck it brings to the community. Dragons are believed to possess qualities including great power, dignity, fertility, wisdom and auspiciousness. The appearance of a dragon is both fearsome and bold but has a benevolent disposition, and it was an emblem to represent imperial authority. Movements in a performance traditionally symbolize the power and dignity of the dragon. The dance is performed by a skilled team whose job is to bring the motionless puppet body to life; correct combination and proper timing of different parts are very important. The head must coordinate with body movement to match the timing of the drum. The dragon is often led by a person holding a spherical object representing a pearl. Historically, retired dragons are typically burned and not saved. Other fragments of dragons of similar age are kept at museums in the United States and Australia, including the oldest complete dragon, named Loong, at the Golden Dragon Museum in Bendigo, which was used regularly in that city's Easter parade until 1970.

Did You Know?

• In one regional dragon dance from Zhanjiang, Guangdong province, the body of the dragon is formed entirely of a human chain of dozens to hundreds of performers.