Lion Dance Costume, Northern Style - Red & Yellow

Northern Lion Dance Costume - Red & Yellow

This traditional red-yellow costume is made of sheep's wool and bamboo structure.

Characteristics of the Northern Lion dance costume

• Complete costume including cloak , head, two trousers and two pairs of shoes
• Northern style lion in sheep's wool & bamboo
• Head dimensions : 50 x 50 cm
• Composition of the head : bamboo
• Trousers size : one size
• Shoe size : 42-43 (US : 8 to 9)
• Adult size
• Ideal costume for a size between 1.70 m to 1.90 m (5'7'' to 6'3'')
• Dominant colour : red
• Ball supplied with the costume
• Ears, eyes and mouth can be moved with a traditional wire mechanism

History of the Lion Dance

There are many legends about the origin of the lion dance, but here is the most popular.

The origin of this dance goes back to the Hans dynasty during the development of the Silk Road linking the Western countries to China. The Western countries, which were very dependent on China at that time, decided to give these people a major gift: lions. This is an animal that was not present on the territory and the inhabitants, intrigued by this new species, decided to analyse and reproduce its movements.
This western gift thus, over time, gave rise to the traditional lion dance that we know accompanied by drums and gongs and which is performed during major events and festivals in China; notably during the Chinese New Year.
This dance is a symbol of courage, strength and wisdom and places the lion as a lucky animal guaranteeing good news.

The Lion Dance Style

• The Northern Lions :
  The dance associated with these lions is very acrobatic and has a very precise organisation. In fact, the dance is always performed in pairs (male and female lions) whose sex can be distinguished by the colour of the knot on the animal's head: green for the female and red for the male. Before the dance begins, one or two protagonists are in charge of shaking a ball to excite the lion and make it perform its technical prowess. Each costume is worn by two dancers: the first one is in charge of the head and front paws movements, the second one is in charge of the back paws and plays the role of the lion's spine. Sometimes it is possible to have a lion cub that is controlled by one protagonist.
  The representation involves the dancers performing on platforms and balancing on large balls.
  Originally, the Northern Lion Dance was intended to entertain the imperial court. The costume of these lions is made of wood or fibreglass (head) and fur (very often made of sheep's wool) to represent the body.