Megan Ibara
March 10, 2023
Chinese lion dancing has taught me about my culture and has furthered my interest in the Chinese language and culture.
I first started lion dancing when I was around five years old. My mother loves taking photos of me and my brother during special occasions and she wanted a nice photo of us for the New Year. Upon trying to get a nice photo of us, my parents decided that the best way to get a nice photo is to just join a lion dance group. Coincidently, a family friend came from a lion dance practice and told my parents to join the group that he is in. Surprisingly, the members of that group also happened to be my father’s relatives. My parents decided that this was the group that we would join and I have been a part of the Hawaii Lion Dance Association since then.
The training for lion dancing can be difficult, but the teachers at my club are nice and make the activities fun. We have to do a lot of cardio, weightlifting and learn kung fu. Kung fu is the basis of lion dancing and it can be hard (and painful) to learn. The muscles you use for kung fu are different from the normal weightlifting ones, so when first starting out it can be painful. However, I enjoy doing all of this and it helps me physically and mentally keep in shape.
Lion dancing happens all year round and not just during the Lunar New Year. My group performs at birthday parties, retirement parties, weddings, graduations, business blessings, and more. We perform for the New Year celebrations a little bit before, during, and a few weeks after the New Year. I enjoy performing during the New Year because I am able to share with other people lion dancing and Chinese culture. Lion dancing during this time means a lot to me because we go to places such as my school and the place where I volunteer and perform for them and teach them about lion dancing. Seeing other people happy with our performances and showing interest when we teach them about lion dancing makes all the hard work worth it.
Chinese lion dancing has taught me about my culture and has furthered my interest in the Chinese language and culture. Upon meeting my relatives in this group, I learned about my heritage and the impact that my ancestors have had on the Chinese community here in Hawaii. My father’s great-granduncle was the unofficial mayor of Chinatown and he did a lot for the Chinese community. When finding out about my heritage, I thought it would be appropriate for me to continue this legacy and help perpetuate Chinese culture. This has also led me to join the University of Hawaii at Manoa’s Chinese Language Flagship Program. I wanted to improve my Chinese language skills and learn more about my culture. I hope to continue spreading Chinese culture to others in the future.
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