Cover_Jan 05 (Page 2) - The Parklander Magazine

Douglas High To Host
Chinese New Year Celebration
By Siping Yang
Amazing acrobatic feats, traditional dancing and singing
and art demonstrations will be part of the South Florida
Chinese New Year celebration on Feb. 5 from 7-9 p.m. at the
Stoneman Douglas High School theater.
Year 2005 is the year of Rooster, which represents hard
work, confidence and abundance. The two-hour celebration is
organized by the Chinese Association of Science Economics &
Culture of South Florida (CASEC). The show will also include
performances on classical instruments and Beijing opera.
The dragon dance and lion dance have always been
important festive traditions in Chinese New Year celebration,
but the history behind them is not widely known.
The dragon dance was originally performed to please the
dragon, the deity of water, to ask for rain during drought
years. Gradually it became a form of entertainment and dance
on festive occasions. The dragons, usually ranging from several
meters to more than 100 meters long, are made of bamboo,
wood, rattan, cloth, paper and other materials. There are
poles attached to the belly of the dragon which performers
hold to raise the dragon. The dancers perform their dance to the
beat of roaring
drums and are led
around the stage
by a person holding
a pearl that is
believed to entice
dragons.
The lion dance
is another festival
tradition loved by
the people in
China. It is usually
performed with
the dragon dance
on auspicious
occasions. Lions
are an important
Chinese totem,
the symbol of
power, majesty
and courage, capable of warding off evil spirits.
There usually are two performers who play the lion. One
handles the lion’s head, leads the dance and shows the lion’s
emotions. The other plays the body and the tail. The lion is
accompanied by musicians playing a drum, a gong and
cymbals, and a man who entices the lion, usually holding a
fan or a giant ball.
For more than 2,700 years, Chinese acrobats have been
impressing audiences with their grace, beauty and physical
strength. They will perform feats that may be translated as
“One-hand Balance”, “Head Balance”, “Body Through Tube”,
and “Flying Fork” on stage.
To reserve tickets, call 954-608-7636 or 561-289-3854
or visit casec.floridachinese.org P ●
Siping Yang is the Editor-in-Chief of the CASEC’s electronic News Flash.
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