Leaping lions compete in Johor Baru

 

Fans of High-Pole Lion Dance in Johor Baru had a wonderful adrenaline-pumping treat over the past weekend when they witnessed the National High-Pole Lion Dance Competition, hosted at the central concourse of Plaza Sentosa.

 

A spectacular show at the National competition
held in Plaza Sentosa, Johor Baru

Organized by Kun Seng Keng (KSK) Lion and Dragon Dance Association annually and hosted in various venues nationwide, this competition was held in Johor Baru this year with the support of the Malaysia Dragon & Lion Dance Sports Association.

 

High-Pole Lion Dance enthusiasts who are familiar with KSK, the award-winning team who have established a reputation as world-class multiple champions of International and National High-Pole Lion Dance competitions, had the privilege of enjoying a live show at this exciting competition.

 

Tan Chong Hing, founder of the Kun Seng
Keng Lion and Dragon Dance Association
in Muar, with a KSK Lion Dance team

Tan Chong Hing, who founded the Kun Seng Keng Lion and Dragon Dance Association in Muar in 1988, had made it his mission to organize Lion Dance competitions annually to actively promote the culture and heritage of lion dancing.

 

However, due to the global pandemic, this annual competition was deferred for two years. During this challenging time, Tan noted that some 30% of lion dance teams nationwide, had no alternative but to be dissolved.

 

In his opening address, Tan expressed his hope that this National Competition will reignite the passion among enthusiasts and revitalize the sport to keep the culture and tradition of Lion Dance alive in this nation.

 

In 2007, the art of High-Pole Lion Dance by the Kun Seng Keng Lion and Dragon Dance Association was recognised as an Intangible National Cultural Heritage by the Unity, Culture, Arts and Heritage Ministry.

 

With Master Siow, King of Lion Heads

For this competition, participating teams from Negeri Sembilan, Perak, Penang, Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Melaka, Johor and Sabah, had their own drum and cymbals musicians, and each team took their turn to perform their routine.

 

Details of the event remained sketchy until I arrived at 2pm on June 4 and learnt from reliable sources that the competition was in fact, divided into two parts.

 

Part One was the competition for Traditional Lion Dance where teams would perform a routine around a circuit designed on the floor.

 

The judging criteria included the lion’s posture, footwork, teamwork, portrayal of the lion as it skillfully danced through this circuit, paused to drink some wine, then climb onto a wooden table in a drunken dance…

 

Performing a routine in the Traditional Lion
Dance Competition; Observe the skills of the
two players - where is the front player?

Ahead of the competition, I observed the pairs of players while they rehearsed their routines. These pairs did not wear the Lion Head and costume so I could see their fancy footwork and the synchronized coordination between the two as they moved as one.

 

I was always impressed by how the two players could coordinate their movements while the front player was carrying and moving the heavy lion head, and also flapping its ears and eyelids, according to the music.

 

Meanwhile the player in the rear was bending over most of the time and he not only had to wag the lion’s tail at appropriate times according to the music but also needed to have the strength and stamina to carry the front player up to stand on his own thighs or shoulders.

 

Participating teams assembled for the
event opening ceremony

Among the officials at the event, I recognised the distinct image of Master Siow Ho Phiew whom I met and interviewed when he participated in the 8^th Johor Baru Arts Festival, held in the city’s heritage quarter.

 

He probably could not remember this so I reminded him that my story on him aptly entitled, King of Lion Heads, was published in Johor Streets, a pull-out section of The New Straits Times, in July 2011.

 

A team of judges were stationed at various spots around the competition circuit for their judging criteria and at the end of each team’s performance, each judge would display the scores to show the audience before all scores were tallied up in a grand total.

 

Mighty skill and strength for a lion
to stand upright on top of a high-pole

The Traditional Lion Dance competition took a break to conduct the event opening ceremony that kicked off officially with our National Anthem and the raising of our National Flag.

 

It was fascinating (for me!) to observe that KSK had their official flag and anthem, and this flag was also raised as their anthem was sung (in Mandarin) with passion and vigor.

 

The Traditional Lion Dance competition resumed after the opening ceremony and the teams delighted the audience with their clever choreography and dancing skills.

 

At the close of this competition, the teams who scored the highest in the Traditional Lion Dance were Hong Guan Wushu and Lion Dance Sports, Johor Baru, in the top spot, Sheng Wai Dragon & Lion Dance Kepong Association, Kuala Lumpur, in second place and Kun Seng Keng Lion and Dragon Dance Association, Butterworth, Penang, in third place.

 

A lively portrayal of a lion

Meanwhile, Part Two of the competition for the High-Pole Lion Dance was scheduled for 8pm that evening.

 

This highly anticipated part of the competition attracted an even bigger audience where many enthusiasts found strategic spots on the upstairs corridors of Plaza Sentosa for a panoramic view of the High-Pole Lion Dance.

 

The art of High-Pole Lion Dancing was certainly not for the faint-hearted as the players had to jump 1.8m from pole to pole, bearing the weight of the lion head and costume while mimicking the lion’s movement to thrill and enthral a captivated audience.

 

Clearly, it was even more challenging in the High-Pole Lion Dance because part of the routine was for the rear player to carry the front player and for both the players to stand upright on the top of a single high-pole that was raised up to 2.5 meters high.

 

A leaping lion in action!

This reminded me of the discipline and strict training the players had to go through to perfect their coordination and routines together.

 

Inspired by the KSK code of ethics and principles in the art of lion dancing, High-Pole Lion Dance had developed into an extreme sport where players not only needed to be committed to training and honing their skills in lion dancing but also in developing a strong bond with each other as each pair went out to perform with unquestionable trust and confidence.

 

I appreciated the spirit of sportsmanship that prevailed at this National competition that encouraged the players who unfortunately, missed their footing or lost their balance and fell from the high poles onto the foam-lined ground below.

 

While the mishap might have been disappointing and demoralising, the loud cheering and clapping encouraged the players to get up and go on to try again – and to succeed in completing their routine with a grand flourish.

 

A truly adrenaline-pumping event

In the High-Pole Lion Dance competition, Xu Xiang Dragon and Lion Dance Sports Club, Sabah, clinched the top spot while second place went to Kin Ket Lion and Dragon Dance Association, Sabah, with Hong Teck Sports Kepong, Kuala Lumpur, in third place.

 

While these teams may leave the competition with trophies, each team was already a winner for their participation.

 

The experience garnered from such an event would go a long way to inspire and encourage the teams to train and excel in this sport and prepare themselves for a better performance in the next competition.

 

As for High-Pole Lion Dance enthusiasts (like me!) who thoroughly enjoyed the live experience, it took some time to wind-down from the adrenaline-pumping show before falling asleep and drifting off into sweet dreams, filled with lions leaping from high-pole to the next high-pole, to the beat of drums and cymbals.

Photo Credits: BrandCulture PR Marketing & Communications