In Da Nang, there are currently over 20 professional and amateur lion dance troupes, most of which were developed by young people with a love for traditional art forms. In recent years, this art form has increasingly developed and colourful lion-shaped images not only appearing during the annual Mid-Autumn Festival, but also in cultural and tourist events across the city.

Lion dance performance serves children in Hoa Vang District on the occasion of Mid-Autumn Festival 2022. Photo: X.D

Lion and dragon dances are traditional dancing techniques usually done in festive celebrations in Viet Nam, such as shop grand opening or the Lunar New Year Festival.

As their names suggest, lion dancers, donning lion costumes, mimic the movements of the animal to bring good luck and fortune, whereas dragon dancers manipulate a long flexible figure of a dragon using poles positioned at regular intervals along its length.

Only over 10 days away to the Mid-Autumn Festival, along the streets, it is not difficult to see images of groups of lion and dragon dancers passionately practicing with the bustling sound of drums and trumpets, echoing in every corner of the street. Not only attractive to children, the dance is a special spiritual dish that adults wait for on every Mid-Autumn Festival.

Mrs. Nguyen Thi Hong, a resident in Nai Hien Dong Ward, Son Tra District said that lion dance is a beautiful art form of performance, carrying the desire for prosperity and success in work and life, so spectators of all ages love it. “Every year, I take my children to full moon festivals around my living area', she added.

Along with lanterns and moon cakes, lion dance performances have been imprinted in the minds of many generations, becoming a cultural beauty that needs to be passed down forever.”, Mrs. Hong expressed.

According to the development of society, many amateur lion troupes transformed into professional ones, serving the city's cultural, commercial and tourist events. One thing the troupes have in common is that the members are all quite young, and many of them are at school age but have very skillful movements.

Mr. Nguyen Ho Hoang Ngoc, 34, the Head of the Quang Chau Duong Lion Lion Troupe specialising in performances in Da Nang and neighbouring Quang Nam Province, said that not everyone can participate in lion dance because it is both an art and a martial art, requiring good physical strength and skillful technique. Therefore, young people and teenagers are the most suitable, because this age group has abundant physical strength and a certain level of flexibility.

On the other hand, to have a 20-30 minute high-pole lion dance performance, performers must practice for months in a row. Therefore, teenagers will have more free time than adults. In addition, lion dancers need to have passion, perseverance, solidarity and the ability to appreciate music. A lion or dragon dance  become srough if performers do not know how to immerse themselves in the mascot they carry and lack the harmony between the moves and the drum rhythm.

Youth is an important factor in lion dancing, but most members of lion and dragon troupes do not consider this their main job and their participation aims to satisfy their passion. Over time, members of the group who mature and have stable jobs will leave, so the groups must continue to recruit new generations to replace them. Therefore, to become a professional unicorn troupe, each troupe must have many seasoned members who have been there for many years to guide and pass on the passion for the art of lion and dragon dances to the next generations.

After nearly 17 years of lion dancing, Mr. Le Phuoc Nhat Kha, 28, a core member of a lion and dragon troupe based in Lien Chieu District, said: “For me, lion dancing has become a part of life. Lion dance not only allows me to satisfy my hobbies but also helps relieve the pressure of life. Therefore, with younger children who have the same passion, I always try to instruct each movement thoroughly and smoothly. Above all, participating in lion and dragon groups will help children have a useful playground, while exercising their physical health, generating income and preventing them from falling into social evils."

Despite being quite young, Mr. Le Nguyen Thanh Thien, 27, has been managing a professional lion troupe for more than 6 years. He is the Head of Hung Long lion troupe based in Cam Le District. He affirmed that lion dance are not just an industry, but also a traditional cultural beauty of the country. Those working in this industry have the responsibility to preserve and promote the cultural values left by their ancestors.

At the same time, in each performance, they must try their best to help spectators understand more about the beauty of the art of lion dance. Compared to other localities, lion dance in Da Nang is relatively developed with many professional performing troupes, winning high prizes at regional competitions and festivals.

“Till date, some Vietnamese localities have established chapters of the National Lion and Dragon Federation. Hopefully, in the coming time, the city would  also have the Da Nang Lion and Dragon Federation to help the delegations follow a professional direction, focus on professional development, and create unique characteristics, thereby, spurring up the development of the city’s lion and dragon dance movement and make it be on par with similar ones nationwide.”, Mr. Thien said.

Reporting by X.DUNG - Translating  by A.THU