Lion dance (醒獅) has been part of Chinese culture for centuries, with origins tracing back to the Han Dynasty (205 BC–220 AD), where it was performed primarily during religious ceremonies. Today, lion dance remains an important tradition at Lunar New Year celebrations, cultural festivals, weddings, birthdays, and business grand openings. More than just entertainment, lion dance is a cultural ritual meant to protect, bless, and energize the community. The lion’s blessings—combined with the powerful sounds of the drum, gong, and cymbals—are believed to drive away evil spirits and bring happiness, good fortune, and prosperity to families and businesses.
Our school specializes in the Foshan style (佛山獅) of Southern lion dance. This style is known for its fierce expression, commanding presence, and agile movements, including powerful jumps. Southern lion dance is widely practiced throughout southern China and Southeast Asia, including Hong Kong, Taiwan, Macao, Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, and Singapore. Historically, southern lion dance troupes were composed of elite martial artists from various kung fu schools.
Each lion is performed by two dancers: the head player, who controls the eyes, ears, and mouth, and the tail player, who provides strength, stability, and expression. This differs greatly from the dragon dance, which requires more than ten performers. Lion dancers must develop strong fundamentals—strength, stamina, flexibility, balance, and coordination—to perform safely and skillfully.
A Buddha (大頭佛) character may accompany the lion, teasing it with a fan, guiding it through crowds, directing it toward red envelopes (紅包), or spotting the dancers during high stunts. Hung Gar practitioners have long been recognized for their lion dance skill. According to legend, the famous Wong Fei Hung met his fourth and last wife, Mok Gwei Lan (莫桂蘭), during a lion dance performance when one of his shoes accidentally flew off and struck her.
Lion Dance Classes
We offer lion dance classes every Sunday and encourage all students to participate, as lion dance training strengthens their gung (功)—the foundation of their kung fu practice. We welcome students of all ages and abilities. There is no additional charge for learning lion dance if you are enrolled in our kung fu program.
Training begins with learning the musical instruments, such as cymbals and gong. Depending on a student’s body type, interest, and skill, they may progress to playing the drum, performing the lion head, or working in the tail. Students may also learn the movements of the Buddha character. In addition to physical skills, students learn the etiquette, taboos, symbolism, rituals, and traditions behind each movement. Once a student becomes proficient, they may join our lion dance troupe and perform at events throughout the year.
Booking a Performance
Performance fees vary based on the number of lions requested, the location and travel distance, the props required, and the total duration of the event. If you are interested in booking a lion dance performance, please contact us for a personalized quote.
Here is a list of our more popular clients:
Ameristar Casino
Anheuser-Busch St. Louis Brewery
Ballpark Village
Captain Elementary
Chinese Student and Scholar Association – SLU Groups
Chinese Culture Day
Commerce Bank
Community School
Corner 17 Restaurant
Danforth Plant Science Center
Emerson Electric
EXO Nail Bar
Festival Of Nations
Fo Guang Shan St. Louis Buddhist Center
Fox 2 Studio STL
Gateway Dragon Boat Festival
Glenridge Elementary
Golden Apple Buffet
Hollywood Casino St. Louis
John Burroughs School
KSDK Show-Me-St-Louis
Ladue Middle School
Pan-Asia Supermarket
Saigon Cafe
Lu Lu Seafood & Dim Sum Restaurant
Lumière Place Casino
Maryville Univesity
Missouri History Museum
Olive Supermarket
PF Chang’s Restaurant
Pokedoke restaurant
Richmond Heights Public Library
River City Casino
Saint Louis Art Museum
The Spirit Church
SLU Vietnamese Student Association
Spoede Elementary School
St Louis Art Fair
St Louis Community College
St Louis Master Qi Kungfu School
St Louis Public Library – Carpenter Branch
St. Louis Vietnamese Community
Tiger Soup Dumplings
Sum Tea House
Sushi Koi
United Adult Day Center
United Provisions
University of Illinois Springfield
Voncii Nail Salon
Webster Grove High School
Westridge Elementary School
Wonton King Chinese Restaurant
World Affairs Council of St. Louis
Wyland Elementary School
Zenwich restaurant