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LION DANCE
No self-respecting School of traditional Chinese Martial Arts would be complete without its own traditional Lion Dance display team.For this particular School our team comprises of seven performers although all members are invited to learn this fascinating aspect of our extensive curriculum.As colourful as it is vibrant, the Lion Dance is synonymous with the Chinese Lunar New Year celebrations although this is not the only time of the year when the skills of the Lion Dancers are called upon! Other events include the opening of businesses, carnival time, weddings, birthdays, anniversaries, and other important dates where one may feel that something special is very much in need if luck, fortune, and prosperity is be very much encouraged. As practitioners of traditional Southern-style Chinese Martial Arts, we perform the Southern China Lion Dance (the northern- and southern-style dances being totally different). Having said this, the "Sanshangong" School has taken various characteristics of several Southern-style Lion dances whilst also creating its own personal stamp which thus renders our dance wholly unique.Sunday February 20th 2005 will mark the very first public outdoor performance of the Southern Chinese Lion Dance. The venue will be Michel Hang’s "Beijing Palace" restaurant and the Dance will take place in front of the twin Lion Dogs that stand, proudly, outside the restaurant’s entrance. |
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Everyone is very welcome to attend.Sponsoring the "Sanshangong" School in terms of financing the purchase of our Lion was Michael Hang, owner and manager of the hugely successful "Beijing Palace" Chinese restaurant in Ryde (on the Isle Of Wight). The "Sanshangong" School is thus indepted to Mr Hang for his interest, support, and interaction with our School, and as a token our of respect for him we have appointed Mr..Hang as being the "Manager" of the "Sanshangong Lion Dance Display Team".Businesses, Companies, Schools, clubs, Associations, and individuals interested in booking the "Sanshangong" Lion Dance Display Team for an up-and-coming event should therefore contact Mr Michael Hang at the "Beijing Palace". He can be reached on (01983) 811888. |
In 2004 Mr. Michael Hang, owner and manager of the “Beijing Palace” Chinese restaurant on Ryde seafront (Isle Of Wight), sponsored Mr. Lailey and his martial arts school by putting up the money for a complete set of traditional Chinese Lion Dance equipment. The set consisted of the Lion’s head, the Lion’s body (costume), two pairs of leggings, one Buddha’s mask, one Buddha’s fan, one gong, two pairs of cymbals, and the huge and heavy Chinese drum. Everything was sent down from the mainland by courier –everything, that is, except the Lion’s head! This was far too fragile to be sent down and so Mr. Lailey ventured up to Oxford where he collected the head personally, and then brought it back down to the Isle of Wight on the train to Southampton, and then across on the Hydrofoil ferry to West Cowes.Having obtained the equipment the next task was to come up with the dance, itself! Having researched the traditional Lion Dance Mr. Lailey fused together two essential Southern Lion Dance themes (stories) and thus created an unique performance. This performance was the first-ever performance of the Chinese Lion Dance the Isle Of Wight had ever seen! What is more is that it was probably the very first Lion dance to have been performed this side of London. A most historical event for sure!Since that cold weekend afternoon in 2005 the “Wight Wushuguan” martial arts academy has performed the traditional Southern Lion Dance for: the opening ceremony of the “Hongkong Express” (a Chinese take-away owned, again, by Mr. Micheal Hang) for the annual “Crab Fayre” held at Ventnorfor the “Beijing Palace” restaurant during the 2006 Chinese New Yearand for the “Beijing Palace” restaurant when national television contacted Mr. Lailey and asked if the Dance could be televised for one of their entertainment shows. |