SANDAKAN, Jan 27 — The Chinese New Year celebrations seem incomplete without the merriment of the traditional lion dance.
The Chinese believe that performing the lion dance during festivals can scare away evil spirits and usher in good fortune and wealth for the coming year.
Although the lion dance is associated with the Chinese community, in Malaysia, it is now performed by other races reflecting the extraordinary spirit of Keluarga Malaysia (the Malaysian Family).
In fact, it is not a peculiar sight here to see people of various races become professional lion dancers.
For 19 year-old Maizur Maistan, his interest in lion dance began when he was a child, as he was often wowed by the acrobatic moves of a lion dance performance every time Chinese New Year comes around.
His dream of becoming a lion dancer became reality when he joined the Leong Sin Sports Club four years ago.
Maizur’s determination and agility has also convinced his coach to place him in the front position to hold the lion’s head when performing the traditional dance.
“It’s not about the money and I’m doing it because of my deep interest in it. As Malaysians, we have to learn about the cultures and traditions of other races in this country,” he told Bernama.
Ihwansyah Azroy, 20, who ventured into the Chinese culture when he was 13, said the acrobatic performance of dancers jumping and balancing from one pole to another made him interested to learn the traditional art.
“My coach has helped me a lot to improve my skills and master this dance,” said Azroy who has been performing the lion dance for the past six years.
Leong Sin Sports Club chairman and coach, Huang Yuk Leong, said the lion dance is not a community sport exclusively to the Chinese anymore, but it can be participated by all races in the country.
“The lion dance can now be learnt and enjoyed by everyone, regardless of culture or race…as long as you have the passion,” he said.
Huang, who had won various lion dance competitions at both the state and national levels, said he first started learning the lion dance in 1984 and became a trainer in the early 90s before establishing his own sports club in 2014.
On the negative perceptions of some parties over the involvement of the Malays in the traditional Chinese dance, he said, lion dances are now not only performed during the Lunar New Year celebrations but also other occasions as a symbol of interracial harmony in the country.
— Bernama
