Skip to main content

Trust, tradition, and balance. Lion dancers in Seattle ward off evil, ring in Lunar New Year

caption: Lion dancers at Mak Fai Dragon & Lion Dance Association perform on jongs, small platforms that stand several feet high.
Enlarge Icon
Lion dancers at Mak Fai Dragon & Lion Dance Association perform on jongs, small platforms that stand several feet high.
Courtesy of Mak Fai Dragon & Lion Dance Association

Jan. 29 marks the beginning of the year of the snake, and it's an extra special Lunar New Year in Washington state because this year, it's a state holiday for the first time.

Festivities have already been happening in many places, but the holiday officially spans 15 days, with celebrations all over the state for Chinese and other Asian cultures. A critical part of these celebrations is lion dancing.

During these weeks, 51-year-old lion dancing school Mak Fai Dragon and Lion Dancing Association in Seattle's Chinatown-International District is very busy. On the first day of Lunar New Year, the club's troops will do 16 performances around Western Washington.

Han Eckleberg, 10-year member of Mak Fai as a lion dancer and kung fu practitioner, is enjoying this busy time.

"It's exhilarating performing for crowds up to the hundreds and they're all chanting Mak Fai, Mak Fai, Mak Fai," Eckleberg said.

Lion dancing is a traditional combination of dancing and martial arts from China. It's performed by two people in a lion costume. Their movements are accompanied by percussion instruments like drums and cymbals. They stack the head player on top of the tail player's head and then jump across a Jong set, which is 15 to 20 small, round platforms that sit several feet in the air.

"Our head and tail work in tandem to bring these blessings to a crowd that is looking up to them, where they then drop a scroll wishing them a Happy New Year," Eckleberg said.

Jongs are one of the hardest feats lion dancers can perform, but it's one of their favorites to do. It's also said to ward off evil, one of which — according to legend — is a monster called Nian who terrorized the villages in China long ago. The dancers use bright colors, loud noises and mirrors to scare the monster and other evils away.

Lion dancing takes strength, balance, and stamina. And if you're a tail player like Martin Lau, trust in your head player. He explained, "I'm pretty blinded. I can't really see left or right."

He takes cues from how his partner moves and the crowd's response. And when he lifts up the head player he gets to see the crowd's faces and their clapping.

"It makes it's very enjoyable," Lau said.

caption: Mak Fai lion dancers performing Jongs, which are 15 to 20 small, round platforms that sit several feet in the air. Dancers jump across them in an acrobatic feat.
Enlarge Icon
Mak Fai lion dancers performing Jongs, which are 15 to 20 small, round platforms that sit several feet in the air. Dancers jump across them in an acrobatic feat.

Mak Fai dancers perform at weddings, birthdays, and corporate events. During competition season, practices go for several hours multiple times a week.

For Han Eckleberg, it's a worthwhile effort knowing he's with a crew of friends that also has the same mission — to represent their culture with pride.

"There's something about that that's just so inspiring to be around," he said.

Eckleberg also sees how his passion for this type of art resonates with the younger generation at these events.

"We can be representatives of that and show them it's cool to be proud of your culture," he said.

Why you can trust KUOW
Close
On Air Shows

Print

Print

Play Audio
 Live Now On KUOW
Morning Edition
Next: NPR's Here & Now in 4 hours
On Air Shows

Print

Print

Play Audio
Local Newscast
The Latest
View All
    Play Audio