The protean dragon and the mighty lion were dancing vigorously to the sonorous beats of the gongs and drums on 1 June. At the closing exam of the first Dragon and Lion Dance Course at UIC, students’ performance was as professional as that in a TV show.
A total of 78 students had selected the course and most of them passed the closing exam with their skilful performance. Dragon and Lion Dance is a folk sport with a long history in China. During the course, students not only participated in the skill training but also learnt about the long-lasting Chinese dragon and lion culture. After one term’s training and learning, students were deeply attracted by the charm and vitality of this centuries-old Chinese sport as well as its intensive cultural connotation.
The course had been an amazing experience for Wang, an economics student who started as a layman to the sport and had become a professional and a fan gradually. He said, “I have watched so many times the dragon and lion dance performance since my childhood. Now I am lucky enough to have a chance to learn how to perform…At the Sports Culture Opening Ceremony, there are other performances from Japan and Britain, but the dragon and lion dance impressed me the most. Its vigour and power was breath-taking. As one of the performers, I am so proud of myself and of our nation. There is no other sport that can compare with it.”
The training was harsh. In order to lift the lion agilely at the performance, some students had weight lifting exercise with chairs in their dormitories; some students practised playing the drums until their arms got numbed to have better control of the rhythm; some students had to suffer muscle soreness for two to three days after they challenged a series of difficult steps with the lion lifted up high…All these tough exercises shaped the temperament of the students, leaving them not only a special memory but also a new angle of view on their lives.
Many students love the dragon and lion dance so much that they were reluctant to stop training after the short course. More than 20 students had joined the UIC Dragon and Lion Dance Club to continue their “dragon and lion venture”.
Cheryl Chen/ Christy Zhao
Development & Public Relations Office
