Crouching lion, hidden dragon.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s 4 p.m. on a Friday at the New York Chinese Freemasons Athletic Club on Canal Street, where 20-25 performers, who make up one of Chinatown\u2019s oldest lion dancing troupes, dating back nearly 70 years, are gathered for their weekly training session. <\/p>\n
Clad in a tight black T-shirt, the nonprofit\u2019s president, Brandon Lee, is pacing up and down the room like a drill instructor, barking commands as trainees perform a series of endless, complex calisthenics to whip these young lions into shape for the upcoming Lunar New Year parade<\/a>.<\/p>\n Young volunteers, ranging in age from 12 to 29-years-old train as \u201clions\u201d for a full year before participating in NYC\u2019s Lunar New Year parade. Emmy Park For NY Post<\/p>\n Out of curiosity \u2014 or perhaps poor judgment \u2014 I joined part of the class to learn what goes into being a lion dancer. I quickly learned that this wasn\u2019t some glorified cat cosplay \u2014 it was part ballet, part \u201cCobra Kai,\u201d as there are weapons on the wall in ode to the 5,000-year-old pastime\u2019s <\/a>martial arts roots.<\/p>\n \u201cOn the count of three, we\u2019re going to do the next stance,\u201d commanded Lee, as I arrhythmically\u00a0tried to imitate the intricate dance steps, lunges, and five minutes\u2019 worth of squats that the rest of the group carried out with ease.<\/p>\n Soon, these cadets will have to execute these complex sequences they\u2019ve been practicing all yearwhile wearing a 10-15 pound papier-mache lion head \u2014 one performer operating the snapping, blinking head while another helms the shimmering fabric train.<\/p>\n Post reporter Ben Cost (front) joined the crew to learn a few lion dance moves. Emmy Park For NY Post<\/p>\n Just a few minutes into the routine, my quads were burning. I\u2019m not ashamed \u2014 at 36, I\u2019m a senior citizen in a class of 12 to 29-year-olds. Thankfully, I was mercifully spared the mandatory 70 pushups.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a lot harder than the looks,\u201d said Lee, noting that it probably takes three years to Lee would know. Following in the footsteps of his father and uncle, who performed in the 1990s, the young lion began dancing himself before becoming a team leader. Now, he acts as both president and treasurer \u2014 all while holding down a 9-to-5 gig in IT.<\/p>\n Following in his father\u2019s footsteps, Brandon Lee works in IT by day and is a lion dance instructor by night. Emmy Park For NY Post<\/p>\n In fact, the bootcamp-like vibe belies the fact that the Freemasons is all volunteer-run. Members include high-schoolers and professionals alike, who cram in rehearsals between classes and day jobs.<\/p>\n Contrary to what one might assume, auditions aren\u2019t required to be a lion dancer, as all are welcome. However, the strongest participants are usually the ones to operate the head, while the others will operate as more of a supporting role in the performance, such as banging a bong. <\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a side hustle,\u201d said David Jiang, 22, who started the hobby when he was 16. \u201cIt\u2019s hard to make it [a lion dancer\u2019 in a year and a half because [the first year] is just mostly foundation. Unless you\u2019re really good, you\u2019re very talented.\u201d <\/p>\n It took Jiang eight to ten months to land his first lion dancing spot \u2014 an achievement that required him to train outside the allotted time, juggling rehearsals with class and school.<\/p>\n The performers doing the mandatory 70 push-ups during their weekly Friday training session. Emmy Park For NY Post<\/p>\n While certainly difficult, he said it\u2019s all worth it as my \u201cteam kind of needs me. So I\u2019m trying to be here as much as I can.\u201d<\/p>\n In addition, he claims that the grind has made him a \u201cbetter individual.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhen you go into endurance workouts, you have to train your mindset,\u201d he said. \u201cI think that\u2019s the biggest thing that this club has offered.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a lot more than just line dancing, right?\u201d he said. \u201cPassing on the culture, teaching the new generation, all that.\u201d<\/p>\n A family bond is formed from the group of 20-25 volunteers. Emmy Park For NY Post<\/p>\n That being said, a position in the belly of the beast is no participation trophy. <\/p>\n Along with impressive upper-body and leg strength, it\u2019s essential to be able to move in unison with your dance partner \u2014 think \u201cSaturday Night Fever\u201d combined with a Broadway suit performer. <\/p>\n A good litmus test of this is \u201cfreestyle,\u201d where the head is \u201cmaking up the moves as he\u2019s going,\u201d Lee explained to The Post. He said, \u201cThe guy in the tail has to kind of pay more attention and see what he\u2019s doing and look at his feet to kind of follow along.\u201d<\/p>\n Watching them practice, I learned to admire the dedication despite not being allowed anywhere near a lion suit.<\/p>\n It\u2019s essential preparation given the club\u2019s grueling slate of 70 shows a year, including birthdays, weddings, business openings and more. The Freemasons even performed at the Knicks\u2019 halftime show at Madison Square Garden for the last three years, and are returning this year. <\/p>\n Whoever the two strongest lion dancers are the ones to operate the 10-15 pound head. Emmy Park For NY Post<\/p>\n \u201cIf I can do the Knick shows I can do anything,\u201d said Jiang.<\/p>\n The biggest test will be the Lunar New Year festival on March 1 which will usher in the Year of the Horse with firecrackers and confetti during parades that can last from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.<\/p>\n While the Freemasons will have 40 to 50 representatives at the parades, only around five will do the actual lion dance due to the skill required. Others will bang gongs, cymbals and drums.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s parading the whole Chinatown all day,\u201d said Lee. \u201cSo it takes a lot of manpower. It takes a lot to keep it running.\u201d<\/p>\n Across town, rival Young Lions \u2014 which founder Brian Tom claims is the \u201clargest\u201d group in Manhattan, founded in 1972 \u2014 meanwhile, will have as many as 150 performers.<\/p>\n Although \u201cdepending upon where you are in the skillsets, there\u2019s only certain streets that you can play,\u201d he said, noting that only the most \u201cexperienced\u201d lion dancers can work the offering table with fruit and veggies on strings.<\/p>\n One of the main goals for performers is not to drop their head, or it\u2019ll cost them. Emmy Park For NY Post<\/p>\n Whatever you do, don\u2019t drop the head, which can cost up to $1,500. \u201cYou never want to do that\u2026.that\u2019s a major loss of face,\u201d warned Tom. \u201cThere\u2019s a conversation usually with that person, and they\u2019re usually probably not touching the lion head for a little while.\u201d<\/p>\n If it happens, you\u2019ll get \u201chalf a dozen guys jumping on a grenade\u201d to pick it up, the Young Lions Patriarch said.<\/p>\n It\u2019s a sign of reverence dating back to the Tang Dynasty (or third century for Westerners). Origin stories vary, but most trace back to a monster Nian that terrorized the beast, using firecrackers and drums or, in some versions, a costume facsimile of the monster.<\/p>\n It then evolved into an annual performance used to ward off evil spirits and bring prosperity to the community.<\/p>\n These days, the seemingly frozen-in-amber art definitely shows more influences from the modern world as well as NY\u2019s multicultural bouillabaisse. While they are still predominantly Chinese, the China Community Young Lions has seen increased participation from African-Americans, Italians and Japanese members, according to Tom.<\/p>\n \u201cFolks within the Chinatown area would call us the United Nations because we had representation pretty much from everybody,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, clubs struggle with maintaining lion dancing\u2019s integrity in the social media age. Tom noted the scourge of videos on the platform depicting people in lion costumes<\/a> \u201cdancing to rap music\u201d \u2014 a trend he dubbed \u201cnot cool.\u201d<\/p>\n The group has spent the past year gearing up for next month\u2019s parade performance. Emmy Park For NY Post<\/p>\n \u201cThe more that happens, the less traditional aspects of it, the less respect for the actual art of dancing, less about the foundational understanding of why you do it,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n The younger Lee sees both sides, noting that while some of the culture gets lost, it also can help popularize the pastime and even improve skills.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have our own social media and we can video the performances and share it online,\u201d he said. \u201cAnother way it helps is actually, the guys like to watch their own performance back and see what they can do better.\u201d<\/p>\n Ultimately, he believes that you have to adapt or you\u2019re going to get left behind, explaining that the methods he learned are \u201ca little different from how I\u2019m teaching the new guys.\u201d<\/p>\n Just don\u2019t drop the lion\u2019s head.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t
mold Chinatown\u2019s official maned mascot. \u201cWe look for a fierce lion dancer,\u201d he said. \u201cA strong player, confident. That\u2019s why everybody actually knows our style.\u201d<\/p>\n