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TRANSCRIPT
From the outside it doesn't look like much, but inside this shed in Brisbane young lion dancers are starting their training.
They dance around each other in pairs, meticulously controlling the lion costume like a puppet.
The spectacle is a vibrant mix of sequins, pom poms and coloured fur.
Jordan Do has been dancing for almost a decade and has now taken up the role of teaching children.
“I guess with lion dance, you have to work together. It's definitely a team sport, you know, the lion can't dance with out the music and music can't perform without the lion." ))
Following the rhythm of the drum, known as the heartbeat of the lion, a centuries-old tradition is being passed down
One of Jordan's students is six-year-old Aston Guo.
“My mum took me to watch lion dance every Chinese new year when I was 2 years old and I wanted to join the team"
Hoping to instill discipline and bring the younger generation closer to culture... particularly for first and second generation Asian-Australians.
It's an aspect of teaching the sport... that makes Jordan proud of being a coach.
“I love passing out of the tradition of lion dancing to especially the young kids, you know, I love working with children and to be able to pass that to with them is so amazing. But also doing the high pole "jong" I think that's really exhilarating and it's really fun.”
These 'high poles' known as jong are often seen in competitions and can be several metres high.
In a shed next door, senior dancers are putting their team-work skills to the test.
They are practicing their routine in the air, leaping in sync from one high pole to another.
A marriage between physical strength and music, with Edward Chin playing the gong.
“You just got to put your hours in, put the hard work in, it is very physically demanding, hence why these days I'm on the instruments now that I'm older and I get to see the young ones really put in the effort”
On the drums is lion dancer Christy Liaw, who moved from Malaysia to study in Australia.
She says lion dancing has given her a space to make friends and celebrate her cultural background.
While the sport has been historically dominated by men, Christy believes attitudes are changing and recently started a female squad.
“It makes me feel really proud that we can get our girls team together at some point and showcase ourselves and prove that we can be very strong as well.”
Lion dancing has a long history, dating back thousand of years to the days of imperial China, but the art form is also a competitive sport.
The Brisbane team has competed overseas and performed in Australia's first national lion dance competition last year.
An inspiration to six-year-old dancer Remy Vrecko, who is already thinking about his future goals in the growing sport.
“Doing more shows and going overseas to perform in other countries going into the lion and hearing the drums and cymbals to perform”
