Young people on the journey to preserve the art of lion dance

There are currently more than 10 lion dance troupes operating in the province, most of which were founded and developed by young people who have a love for this traditional art form. Although busy during the Mid-Autumn Festival every year, the young people are always enthusiastic in their journey to conquer their passion with the desire to bring joy and laughter with each decisive and graceful dance step of the lion.

Lion dance competition to celebrate the 133rd anniversary of Thai Binh province's founding.

Honored to win first prize at the lion dance competition celebrating the 133rd anniversary of the province's founding which took place last March, the Hung Nghia Duong lion and dragon dance troupe (Thai Binh city) is currently home to 40 members.

Mr. Nguyen Van Hung, the leader of the troupe, said: The troupe was established 15 years ago, stemming from the desire to watch lion dance performances regularly on every holiday and New Year's Day of the year, especially the traditional Mid-Autumn Festival. The early days of establishment were difficult, but thanks to the enthusiasm and passion of the young people, up to now the troupe not only performs lion and dragon dances but also directly makes items to meet the troupe's practice and performance needs and supplies inside and outside the province. The number of members is relatively large, so the troupe is divided into small groups, practicing periodically 3 sessions/week, after practicing in the groups smoothly, then the whole troupe starts to match the exercises. Initially, only a few brothers participated in the practice, but realizing the benefits that this sport brings, more and more young people want to join. There is a saying "from martial arts to lion dance", because the movements in a dance mostly come from martial arts, so for those who have practiced martial arts, the practice is more favorable. Those who have not practiced will need a high level of effort and determination and will be carefully instructed on how to stand and move in a way that is both rhythmic, graceful, majestic and brave...

The lion dance troupes pass on their skills through the method of predecessors instructing their successors, creating an increasingly developed practice and performance movement.

Having practiced and performed lion dance for more than 2 years, Nguyen Dac Thanh Dat, Tien Phong ward (Thai Binh city) said that he is currently a student and did not consider lion dance as his main job, but because of his passion for lion dance, he decided to spend time practicing this subject. According to Dat, the most important factor determining the success of a lion dance performance is the team spirit and solidarity of the members. Normally, a dance is practiced for 4-5 months before performing, so most of the members have mastered all the movements and rhythms. However, unexpected situations always arise, so coordination and solidarity are required. Dat still remembers that in a performance, after jumping on his head, he landed incorrectly and sprained his ankle. Although it was very painful, he still tried not to interrupt the rhythm of the whole performance. When a member had an accident, the other members of the troupe would also be flexible in performing to provide timely support.

From the enthusiasm of young people, the first year of the Thai Binh lion dance competition attracted more than 200 athletes from 10 clubs in districts and cities in the province. The athletes competed with all their heart, immersing themselves in the lions they wore with graceful, rhythmic, graceful, and majestic steps. Each performance was scored according to criteria such as difficulty, time, performance costumes, etc.

In charge of the drum position, Mr. Ngo The Hien, a member of a lion dance troupe, said: Unlike regular drums, the lion dance drum only has one side. In the dance orchestra of a performance, the lion drum plays the most important role. The sound of the drum controls the movements of the lion, musical instruments such as cymbals and gongs follow the sound of the drum. Usually, the audience only pays attention to the lion, to see if the dance is good, beautiful, or has many difficult movements. But behind those movements is the music that controls. When the music is slow, the lion sleeps and rests; when the music gets faster, the lion will wake up and stand up; when the music is intense and noisy, the lion will perform high jumps and stand on two legs.

Mr. Khieu Ngoc Luong, Tam Hoa Duong lion dance troupe (Vu Thu) said: This is the first time to interact with many lion dance troupes in the province, so the members have all prepared the best with the most impressive performances. Hopefully, the tournament will take place regularly over the years, as a source of encouragement and motivation, and at the same time, a meaningful playground for each young person to be more enthusiastic on the path to conquering passion and preserving the beauty of folk culture.

As an enthusiastic audience watching the lion dance troupes, Mr. Dinh Cong Diep, De Tham ward (Thai Binh city) commented: The children performed very enthusiastically, many difficult movements were performed smoothly, I was most impressed with the lion climbing pole performance. Lion dance is an art, a martial art that carries the desire for prosperity and success in work and life, like a wish for good luck, health and prosperity for a new beginning, so not only children but also older audiences love lion dance.

With the enthusiasm and passion of young people who are not afraid of difficulties and hardships, we hope that lion dance competitions will be held regularly, so that this art form will not only appear regularly during the Mid-Autumn Festival but will gradually become a tourism product, contributing to promoting the land and people of Thai Binh, which is on the path of integration and development.