Welcoming Tet with the lion and dragon dance
Every Tet and spring comes, it is also the time when the lion dance, dragon dance, and cherry blossom art troupe (Can Tho City) enters the busy season of the year. From opening dances to spring celebrations, the troupe's schedule is always packed with "show runs" throughout Tet.
For Mr. Nguyen Thanh Tay (a member of the delegation), this is the 4th consecutive year he has celebrated Tet away from home to stick with the delegation.
The performance schedule lasts from New Year's Eve to the 9th day of Tet. Although there is a bit of sadness when I cannot celebrate the New Year with loved ones, the nature of the work and the passion for drums and dances have become the motivation for the brothers to strive. The encouragement of the people after each performance is the greatest spiritual gift," Mr. Tay confided.
Mr. Nguyen Van Hai (captain of the lion and dragon dance troupe Hoa Anh Dao) said that the Mid-Autumn Festival and Lunar New Year are usually the peak seasons of the lion and dragon dance troupes. The main performances this year of the troupe will include lion blessings, Phuoc Loc Tho Tet greetings, lion leading the earth, picking fortune in the sky... serving the spiritual and entertainment needs of people in the western capital.
Most of the brothers in the troupe did not have a complete Tet holiday with their families. In addition to increased income, the enthusiastic reception from the audience is a great source of encouragement for the whole team to maintain the fire of the profession, bringing unique performances to serve the people," Mr. Hai said.
Behind the moment of brilliance
Behind each performance are the enthusiasm and hard training days of the members. Accordingly, about a month before Tet, the training intensity of the troupe is pushed to the highest level to ensure thorough preparation for each performance.
With 5 years of experience in the profession, Mr. Tay shared that each challenge on the rehearsal floor is not just about practicing techniques but also a way for members to affirm their perseverance with passion. "Rehearsing is hard, but everyone tries their best with the desire to bring the most unique performances to the audience," Mr. Tay said.
Notably, this flame of passion is being strongly continued through the young youth team in the delegation. According to Mr. Hai, the enthusiasm and hard work of the young people, especially during the peak Tet season, have created new vitality for the delegation. The participation of the next generation not only helps the performances become more meticulous, but also makes an important contribution to preserving and developing the art of lion and dragon dances.
Not stopping at the skill training process, the team's meticulousness is also shown through the self-making of performance props. Mr. Nguyen Vu Ha (a member of the team) shared that besides making lion dances for sale during Tet and Mid-Autumn Festival, the performing mascots are all made by the team themselves.
To complete a lion head, the craftsman must be meticulous from the stage of tying the frame, pasting paper to the most important step of "soaring soul" through each stroke. Among them, the two colors red and yellow are always prioritized, because these are symbols of luck and prosperity, imbued with the traditional Tet style.
