After forming just seven months ago, a lion dance group from San Jose made its competitive debut at the largest contest for the art form in the Western Hemisphere last weekend.
Members of Sun Hing dressed up in lion pants practice barehanded with their partners on Wednesday, April 1, 2026, in San Jose. (Photo by Yu Wang)
The Sun Hing Dragon and Lion Dance Association traveled to Grand Prairie, Texas, on July 12 to compete in the 2026 USA Lion Dance National Championships with a roughly 10-minute performance featuring a white lion with red eyes wandering through a village. The group took fourth place in the competition.
Lion dance, the traditional Chinese art form that later developed into a competitive sport, features one person controlling the head and another the tail. The dancers bring the lion to life through coordinated eye and ear movements, acrobatic lifts and flips, showcasing both artistry and athleticism.
During the two-day contest, 19 groups from across the country gathered in Texas to compete in two categories for the national championship. The traditional category, in which the San Jose nonprofit group competed, featured the use of different props such as tables, benches and wine jugs to combine technical skill with storytelling. The competitors were graded on criteria such as theme, artistic expression and musical coordination.
Members from Sun Hing started to form their story concept in March, gathering several times a week at their warehouse to practice for the competition over the past few months. One of the main challenges, according to team leader Kevin Nguyen, was fitting in lion dance within everyone’s daily lives.
“It’s full of sacrifices,” said Isabelle André, the lion head dancer, who is also an electrical engineer at Apple. “You lose part of your social life or your other hobbies, but also win a lot as a result.”
She said she poured all of her energy into lion dance, recalling days when she went straight from work to the warehouse. Even so, she felt there were things the team could have improved on in their performance if they had more time.
André’s tail partner, Bryan Huynh, felt the same way. He said he sees the result as motivation to keep pursuing his passion.
“I know if I keep at it, I’ll be a much stronger competitor in the future,” said Huynh, an analytical chemist who first got into lion dance six years ago in college.
“We’re getting a lot more than the trophy,” said Nguyen.
Over the past several months, he said he has witnessed team members solving problems together and growing closer through their shared passion for lion dance. As the team continues to grow, Nguyen said he always wants much more for the team. He hoped they would one day compete on the international stage.
“I’m not ready to hang up,” said André.
Sun Hing team leader Kevin Nguyen demonstrates movements with an uncovered bamboo lion head practice frame, allowing team members to better observe his technique on Friday, April 17, 2026, in San Jose, Calif. (Photo by Yu Wang)
Sun Hing member Alicia Trinh stretches her legs on the bench outside the warehouse during the practice on Friday, April 17, 2026, in San Jose. (Photo by Yu Wang)
Sun Hing member Alicia Trinh beats a gong to accompany the lion dance on Friday, April 17, 2026 in San Jose. (Photo by Yu Wang)
The Sun Hing competition partners, Isabelle André, left, Bryan Huynh, center, and team leader Kevin Nguyen, right, record themselves practicing their routine for the competition and review the footage together to identify and correct mistakes on Friday, April 17, 2026, in San Jose. (Photo by Yu Wang)
Left, two lion heads sit on the table in the warehouse of Sun Hing Dragon and Lion Dance Association. Right, the drum is an essential part of lion dance music. Painted in red on the drum Sun Hing uses for accompaniment are the Chinese characters, “Shi Wang Pai”, which means “Brand of the Lion King.” (Photo by Yu Wang)
The Sun Hing lion tail dancer Bryan Huynh stands on the benches and lifts his lion head partner, Isabelle André, to stand on his legs. The team leader, Kevin Nguyen, right, watches and gives feedback on their movements on Wednesday, April 1, 2026, in San Jose. (Photo by Yu Wang)
Sun Hing member Kevin Senh claps along with the rhythm on Friday, April 17, 2026, in San Jose. (Photo by Yu Wang)
Sun Hing team leader Kevin Nguyen, left, goes over video of practice with team member Jefferson Dzoan, right on Wednesday, April 1, 2026, in San Jose. (Photo by Yu Wang)
Bay Area News Group partners with UC Berkeley to publish student work. Yu Wang is a graduate student at the UC Berkeley School of Journalism and is expected to graduate in the Spring of 2027.