Glowing dragon to debut at lion-dance contest

By Wayne Harada
Advertiser Entertainment Writer

Jon Orque • The Honolulu Advertiser HAWAI'I WORLD INVITATIONAL LION KINGS COMPETITION Presented by the Hawaii Lion Dragon & Martial Arts Association 1 p.m. Sunday Blaisdell Arena $15-$55 (877) 750-4400

The feat will be performed by Ri Hing, a championship team from Singapore, said Jeffrey Lam, a promoter for the lion-dance exhibition and competition pitting artists from Hawai'i, Singapore, Taiwan and San Francisco.

The glowing dragon, bathed in black lights, will be a centerpiece, Lam said, because the dragon spectacle seldom is performed in darkness.

"It takes a nine-man team to make the fluorescent dragon dance," Lam said. "Plus one fireball (depicting a pearl), and four musicians playing live."

The dragon — not to be confused with the ceremonial lion — can be showcased in a spectrum of colors. And there are specific movements denoting precise elements, said Lam.

"The dragon can be coming down from heaven, or stepping on water, or romancing or chasing the moon," he said. The audience will get a briefing of some of these maneuvers.

This particular dragon is about 30 feet long and is from Fukien in southern China. But its spiral action — a pole operated by the dancer, at the head of the creature — gives it incredible height and often makes it appear longer.

The trick is not getting tangled, of course, and the number — running nearly 15 minutes — is becoming an audience favorite.

The prancing figure pursues a lighted ball, which is supposed to be a pearl. "The pearl represents immortality," said Lam.

Besides the fluorescent dance, the lion king festival will feature two genres:

• A traditional lion dance, performed on the floor, and alluding to particular moments of life — such as a drunken lion, becoming tipsy after slurping alcohol, performed by a Hong Kong team; and a lion confronting and ultimately consuming a crab, which never walks backward, only sideways and forward, rendered by a Taiwan team.
• The pole dance, where lion teams prance on elevated poles of varying heights, from 5 to 8 feet.

All of the dances are set to the traditional drums and cymbal or gongs, creating a raucous sound characteristic of lion dances.

At stake are the U.S. champion, world champion, and grand champion titles.

The competing teams include:

• Singapore: Ri Hing.
• Taiwan: Leung Kwong.
• Hong Kong: Ha Tak Kin Martial Arts Association.
• San Francisco: Yau Kung Moon.
• Hawai'i: Chinese Lion Dance Association and the Chinese Physical Culture Association.

Cash awards of $5,000 for first, $2,500 second, and $1,250 third will be granted in the grand champion competition. Trophies await winners in the other divisions.

Reach Wayne Harada at 525-8067, wharada@honoluluadvertiser.com, or fax 525-8055.