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Where to watch Lion Dance and Dragon Dance Performances in Singapore for Chinese New Year 2019
Jan
Where to watch Lion Dance and Dragon Dance Performances in Singapore for Chinese New Year 2019
Lion and Dragon dance performances are some of the highlights of Chinese New Year 2019. Both rooted in ancient Chinese tradition, they are performed at traditional, cultural and religious festivals to bring luck to the community.
While a lot of first-time viewers confuse Lion dances and Dragon dances, they are actually two different dances. One easy way to identify one from the other is that a lion is shorter and involves just two dancers while a dragon is longer and is held on a pole by many people. It is for this reason that lion dances can be performed in limited spaces, as low as 2x2m. This is also why lion dances are more of a frequent sight than dragon dances.
If you will be in Singapore for this year’s CNY, it is only proper that you see a lion or dragon dance. Both dances signify courage, superiority and stability, they are performed to chase away monsters, ghosts and evil spirits from the community. Since the monsters, ghosts and evil spirits are afraid of loud noises, it is not abnormal to see the dances accompanied by the loud noise of firecrackers.
The dances are also accompanied by clashing cymbals, a gong and drums, every of the animal’s movement is to a definite musical rhythm. The music and drums follow the movements of the animal. The animal mimics various moods and gestures that allows it to look lifelike.
These dances are a combination of art, history and Kungfu moves and the performers are oftentimes Kungfu practitioners. Excelling at a dance was in time past usually regarded as a sign of the success of a Kungfu school.
The high point of the Lion dance is something called the ‘Cai Qing’ or ‘Picking the Green’. Here, green vegetable leaves are tied to a piece of string which has a red packet containing money attached to it. These strings are hung on the door of a business, home or shop, from where the lion eats them. The lion lays on the floor as it ‘chews’ the leaves while the musicians play a dramatic crescendo. Almost unexpectedly, the lion jumps into action and spits out the leaves, this act is symbolic of being blessed by the lion and signifies an abundance for the new year.
There are quite a number of lion and dragon dances holding within Singapore for the 2019 CNY celebrations and we have curated them for you. Here are the places to catch lion and dragon dances this CNY:
Chingay Parade
The Chingay parade is the largest street performance and float parade in Asia. It is a showcase of Singapore’s multicultural diversity, bringing together the uniqueness of the Chinese, Malays, Indians and Eurasians.
The Chingay Parade is very colourful, fun-filled and entertaining, it is marked with an audacious array of dazzling floats, stilt walkers, performers of different races and your favourite CNY entertainment -dancing lions and dragons. This year’s Chingay parade will hold on at the F1 Pit Building, Marina Bay on the 15th of February, 2019.
12th annual International Lion dance competition
This international dance competition draws the best of all Lion dance groups from Singapore and Asia Pacific come and put on their best displays for a shot at the grand prize. You can have as much as 10 troupes competing for the title. Winning the competition grants any group the bragging rights of being the ‘best of the best’.
It is a ticketed event so you have to book ahead of it, this year’s edition will hold on the 26th of January, 2019 at the Kreta Ayer Square, Chinatown between 6:30pm and 10:30pm
Waterway Point Malls
Waterway point is bringing several Lion Dance Performances to customers across their malls nationwide. Here is a list of the dates and venues as of the time of writing:
ANCHOR POINT
Lion Dance Cai Qing
11 February 2019
11 AM to 1 PM
Level 1, Main Entrance.
BEDOK POINT
Lion Dance Cai Qing
11 February 2019
3 PM
Level 1, Atrium.
CAUSEWAY POINT
Lion Leaping on High Poles
18 to 19 January 2019
3 PM
Level 1, Atrium.
Lion Dance Cai Qing
13 February 2019
3 PM
Level 1, Atrium.
CHANGI CITY POINT
Lion Leaping on High Poles
8 to 10 February 2019
12:30 PM & 7 PM
B1, Atrium.
Lion Dance Cai Qing
13 February 2019
1 PM
B1, Atrium.
EASTPOINT MALL
Lion Dance Cai Qing
8 February 2019
2 PM
Level 1, Main Atrium.
Lion Leaping on High Poles
9 & 10 February 2019
2 PM
Level 1, Atrium.
NORTHPOINT CITY
LED Drums Performance
30 January to 1 February 2019
7 PM
Level 1, South Atrium
LED Dragon and Lion Dance Performance
30 January to 1 February 2019
1 PM & 7 PM
Mall-wide
Lion Leaping on High Poles
2 to 3 February 2019
1 PM, 4 PM & 7 PM
B1, Atrium.
Lion Dance Cai Qing
14 February 2019
11:40 AM
B1, Atrium.
THE CENTREPOINT
Lion Leaping on High Poles
2 to 3 February 2019
1 PM
7, 8 & 9 February
1 PM & 6 PM
Level 1, Atrium.
Lion Dance Cai Qing
8 February 2019
11:08 AM
Main Entrance.
WATERWAY POINT
Lion Leaping on High Poles
9 to 10 February 2019
2 PM & 6 PM
Level 1, Village Square.
YEWTEE POINT
Lion Dance Cai Qing
11 February 2019
2:30 PM
Level 1, Main Entrance.
Please note that all information was correct at the time of writing but are subject to change without prior notice, do contact the customer service to confirm.
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