M’sian TikToker Shares How to Operate a Lion Dance Costume & It’s Actually Super Intricate

With Chinese New Year just around the corner, many Malaysians are looking forward to the good food, good company, and even greater ang pow packets! But one thing is for sure, people will also have to opportunity to witness a great Lion Dance to usher in the Year of the Dragon.

Despite the festive celebrations that are upon us, have you ever wondered what really goes behind operating a lion dance costume? Well, one Malaysian content creator named Kionz Chan is showing us just how to operate this giant costume, and it seems to be more complex than what many of us may think.

In a TikTok clip uploaded to his page @kionzchan, Chan began by asking people about whether they knew how the lion costumes fluttered their eyes and moved their ears. Panning the camera to see the inside of the costume, Chan showed an array of threads and pulley levers inside the lion’s head. Tugging on one string, Chan displayed how it worked to not only blink its eyes but also move its ears.

Moving to the mouth of the creature, Chan said that one of the dancers’ hands must always be placed on the bottom part of the lion’s mouth, so as to move it upwards and downwards. Not minutes later does Chan put the entire costume over his head, doing a brief yet simple lion dance, all with the costume’s eyes and ears moving.

Enlightening many people whom had not known what truly went behind manoeuvring the costume, multiple users expressed how complicated the process actually is, despite dancers in the past who have constantly made it look seamless.

“This looks very difficult! What more when dancing on high platforms and jumping on inclinations during their performances,” shared one user.

Watch the full TikTok video below:

@kionzchan

@Kionz.C | Video Mktg Expert cara kawal expressi dan emosi tarian singa / lion dance #kionzchan #kitaCreators #malibelajar #LearnOnTikTok #liondance #tariansinga #cny #cny2024 #chineseculture #chinesenewyear #TasteOfCNY2024

♬ Chinese New Year Music Instrumental – Schubert

The next time you’re watching a lion dance, remember that it is a lot more complicated than what you thought, even without the literal dancing and graceful footwork!

Also read: Kid Lion Dancers Perform Swift Routine at Bukit Bintang & It’s the Cutest Thing You’ll See Today