Behind the Lunar New Year scenes: the Chinese Lion dance

Miriam Valdes-Carletti goes behind the scenes with Hong De Canada, performers of the lion dance, dragon dance and warrior drumming.

Lunar New Year is a busy season for the Hong de Canada dance troupe, a cultural and athletic association that performs the Lion dance, the Dragon dance.and warrior drumming.

“Our objective is to bring this cultural element into sports and be able to stand on an international stage,” Michael Young of Hong de Canada told CTV News Edmonton.

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Hong de Canada has competed in China and Mexico. They won a competition in Toronto last fall.

On Sunday, the troupe led a Lunar New Year parade that started in Chinatown and went to the Royal Alberta Museum to perform on stage.

Brothers Mason and Martin Yong have been Lion dancing for more than a decade.

“We’ve been partners since we were little kids, so just being able to go, have some fun, do competitions and get results is very nice,” Mason Yong said.

The Lion dance is a familiar sight at Lunar New Year festivals, bringing good luck and fortune. People often feed it lettuce to symbolize wealth. Mandarins symbolize gold.

“When the lion chucks the orange, and you can manage to catch it, that means you just caught luck,” Michael Yong said.

With up to 60 people in the group, there’s lots of work for everyone.

Dancers are typically 14 years old and older to do the heavy lifting.

“The exercise, it’s hot in there,” Mason Yong said. “You get a good sweat out of it.”

The younger ones bring out the rhythm of the dance, while others perform with puppets and dance a dragon through crowds.

Their performances bring them to weddings and grand openings, hoping to spread good luck.

“The most important thing is to be yourself, accept oneself, and be proud of your culture and showcase the beauty of your culture to everyone),” Michael Yong said.

With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Miriam Valdes Carletti