left: lion dance, right: dragon dance
dragon dance
(wǔ lóng)
The dragon dance, like the lion dance, is a form of traditional dance in Chinese culture and other Asian countries. It is most often seen in festive celebrations. The dance is performed by a team of experienced dancers who manipulate a long flexible figure of a dragon using poles positioned at regular intervals along the length of the dragon. The dance team simulates the imagined movements of this river spirit in a sinuous, undulating manner.
Lion dance is sometimes mistakenly referred to as dragon dance, the most significant difference is that a dragon dance is usually a lot longer, and operated via sticks. Lion dance often only requires one or two operators, who wear/carry it on their backs or with their arms.
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