The rhythmic pulse of drums and clashing cymbals reverberated across the sun-baked concrete of Mingyue Lay temple’s car park in Sydney’s west this week, as the Qing Fong Dragon and Lion dance team prepared for its busiest time of year: Lunar New Year. Pairs of performers practiced lifting each other, connecting at the hip, even as brightly colored lion heads – crafted from papier-mâché – lay nearby.
Despite the 33C heat, the team geared up for a demanding schedule of more than 100 performances over three weeks. The eve of Lunar New Year alone will see them performing at the Bonnyrigg temple from 9pm well past midnight. Sydney is known for hosting one of the largest Lunar New Year celebrations in the Southern Hemisphere, and this year marks the year of the Fire Horse, a rare occurrence happening only once every 60 years.
“Rain, hail or shine, we still train,” said Long Huynh, a six-year veteran of the Qing Fong team. Newer students found some respite from the heat, training indoors in a small, air-conditioned hall, while team leader Kelvin Tran directed them with shouts over the drumming. Tran’s approach centers on embodying the spirit of the lion. “I notify my kids to be the lion and to feel the lion through themselves,” he explained.
Training at Qing Fong is rigorous, involving at least twice-weekly, three-hour sessions. These commence with physical conditioning – laps, dynamic stretching, and circuit exercises – before breaking into groups to practice routines. Each group consists of four musicians playing drums and cymbals, and two lion dancers. One dancer controls the head, the other the tail.
While the lion head receives the most attention, the tail dancers emphasized their crucial role. “We get lots of pats on the bum from audience members,” one tail dancer joked. Instructor Adelene Pham noted that audiences often focus solely on the lion head, overlooking the function of the dancer controlling the tail.
The coordination required is complex. Dancers must synchronize their movements with the music, manipulating the lion’s head to create expressions – opening and closing the jaw, raising the ears with internal strings. The tail dancer mirrors the head’s movements, responding to interactions with the crowd. “If a head has a happy interaction with a crowd member, we tails wag our tails,” Huynh said. Visibility is limited within the costume; the head dancer’s view is restricted to the mouth opening, and the tail dancer typically squats with their chest facing the floor, unless performing a lift.
“You have to trust each other and you have to rely on each other in order for a performance to actually work out well,” Tran said, highlighting the importance of partnership. This sense of camaraderie is a key aspect of the troupe, with members ranging in age from 12 to 40. “You watch each other grow up,” Tran added.
Music is integral to the performance, with students learning phrases that correspond to specific movements. Nicky Phan, a seven-year veteran, described the music as the “heartbeat of the lion.” Lion dance performances are culturally significant to Chinese communities worldwide, believed to ward off evil spirits and bring prosperity for the new year. Tran explained that participating in the tradition has deepened his students’ connection to their heritage. Phan herself said that learning the history of lion dancing helped her reconnect with her Vietnamese-Chinese identity, filling a void she hadn’t realized existed. “Being a lion … brings back something that you feel like you’ve lost for a very long time.”
While Lunar New Year is the peak season, the troupe remains active throughout the year, performing at events like the moon festival in September, weddings, and business openings. Tran acknowledged that performances don’t always go smoothly – dancers may miss steps or lose their balance – but emphasized the team’s commitment to supporting each other. “Whether it’s a small performance or a big performance, we always make sure we feed each other,” Pham said.
The training session concluded with all 30 dancers crowded into the hall, sharing a box of doughnuts. A palpable energy filled the room as they prepared for their Lunar New Year showcase. “It has just turn into a really big part of my life, and a very good part of my life,” Pham said.
