The traditional lion dance, or “múa lân,” is an unmissable performance during the Mid-Autumn festivities. On our Junior field the excitement began as the vibrant traditional Vietnamese drums started beating, by the incredibly talented drummers. The lions then burst forth, dancing impressively with their giant head and curving body, carried by a team of incredible acrobatic dancers.
With their large mouths and mysterious bulging eyes, the lions paraded around the field with our students gasping in excitement as they tried to touch the lions’ heads as they came closer. During this parade, a dancer wearing a round smiling mask representing “Ong Dia,” the Earth God, also dances around the lions and approaches our hundreds of children, making them laugh with his antics. The most exciting part then came next. An acrobatic lion skillfully climbing and dancing around a towering bamboo pole, whilst students, teachers and staff alike watched in awe at the incredible performance and talent.
We then came onto the fabulous dragon dance with again our students eagerly anticipating where the dragon would dance next. The dance was performed by a team of experienced dancers who twist and turn a long flexible colourful vibrant giant puppet of a dragon using cleverly positioned bamboo poles. The dance team simulated the imagined movements of this mythological creature, snaking and rising and falling across the field.