Hundreds of spectators crowded sidewalks Saturday to enjoy the traditional Chinese dragon dance performed by high school troupes in San Francisco’s Chinatown.
This marks the third year the competition has been held for the students and community. It is one of many local celebrations to recognize May as Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.
“I want to give students the opportunity to come into our community and experience a cultural art and really find a way to build this tradition and bring it to another level,” said Norman Lau, founder and owner of entertainment company LionDanceMe, which hosts the competition.
Since 2024 is the Year of the Dragon in the Chinese zodiac, the event featured a dragon dance instead of the usual lion dance.
In all, six teams from seven San Francisco high schools took part in the competition. Namely, Balboa, Galileo, Lincoln, Lowell and Washington high schools, which returned this year alongside a new team from Wallenberg and Burton.
Though LionDanceMe provided equipment for the dragons, the individual teams put their own spin on the regalia.
“Throughout the year, we train them on the basic principles and techniques of the dragon,” Lau explained. “The students then went and watched different videos and made up different moves for the routine so they actually created their own piece.”
The troupes showed off all they learned, some with a fun modern twist using music from iconic Hollywood blockbusters like Pirates of the Caribbean, Rocky, Titanic and Frozen.
Ryan Lau, 15, a freshman at Lowell High School, started learning lion and dragon dancing from the school’s dance group in October as a way to be part of a community on campus.
“It’s not as easy as you think it is,” said Lau, whose role on Saturday was to handle his team’s dragon tail. You have to put in a lot of time and hard work into it. You can’t just come into the dance and expect to be good.”
In his opinion, the months of preparation for the competition were well worth the effort to spend more time with his friends and take pride in helping plan a routine.
First, second and third place medals and trophies will be announced and awarded to the top teams during a ceremony on May 18.
