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CULTURAL & IN-DEPTH y|D
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SPREAD DESIGN BY ERIN TURKIELTAUB | JOANNE SUNG
DANCING DRAGONS
Junior Daniel Xu connects to his culture through dragon dancing ALLEN YOU
continued to dragon dance at the SLMCS because it immerses him in his cultural traditions. staff writer “I was with a lot of my peers in the Chinese community,” Xu said. “When we were going out to all these parades, t any Chinese festival, it is not hard to spot the we went to the Botanical Garden and saw all these crowds colorful 100-foot dragon moving in a fluid motion ... it was very fulfilling to be a part of the Chinese culwith the beats of the accompanying drum. ture in St. Louis. It made me feel very integrated within Dragon dancing is an art form that originated in the the Chinese culture because we were representing the Han dynasty and has found a home in Chinese communities globally. Australia, for example, is home to the longest SLMCS.” Sophomore Max Yang, who performs alongside Xu, dragon still in use, named Sun Loong, which measures 330 feet. Brilliant dragon performances are put on every Lunar shares a similar view with him. To Yang, dragon dancing is a different cultural experience from speaking Chinese or New Year in the streets of Seattle. The dragon, reprecelebrating Chinese holidays. senting fertility and prosperity, is a recognized Chinese “I feel like there’s just that deeper connection than if symbol everywhere. you were just learning Chinese off a textbook,” Yang said. Since kindergarten, junior Daniel Xu has been per“You get more hands on and more involved. It’s a pretty forming for the St. Louis Modern Chinese School as both fun activity … and it’s a good way to get immersed with a dragon dancer and drummer. He’s performed at festivals Chinese culture.” such as the Missouri Botanical Garden’s Chinese Culture Dragon dancing has a long history, and dragons are still Day and the St. Louis Independence Day Parade. designed similar to the ones used a “I first started doing dragon dancing century ago. For sophomore David Ju, and drumming in elementary school,” dragon dancing allows him to connect Xu said. “I just remember my mom with his community. signed me up for it because she thought “I did [dragon dancing] because I it’d be interesting, and I just did it. I I did [dragon dancing] thought it would be a fun way to exthought it was really fun, so I just kept because I thought it perience Chinese culture,” sophomore doing it.” would be a fun way to David Ju said. “Dancing is a Chinese Much like other types of dance, there experience Chinese tradition that’s been passed on for a are specific moves that are learned. culture. long time and by performing dragon Simply bobbing and weaving requires DAVID JU | SOPHOMORE dances I feel rooted in my ancestry.” timing and focus from each member. Chinese culture has become more But some moves are more complex and and more prominent in areas outside of China’s borders, require another level of cooperation and movement. especially in diverse melting pots like St. Louis. For that “There’s this one thing that we’ve always done and reason, Xu recommends dragon dancing for all, even it’s at the climax of our show,” Xu said. “The [drummers] non-Chinese people, as a way to support Chinese culture would start drumming a very steady sound and then the dragon would start coiling up so it formed a spiral with the and to celebrate Chinese holidays. “If it’s possible to do it, you should definitely do it, tail being at the bottom and the head being at the top. And because it’s very exciting,” Xu said. “It’s a good way to just then after the spiral is formed, the drum hits three big show your appreciation for Chinese culture in general. [It] beats, then the dragon’s head bows … a few times.” Dragon dancing comes with added benefits besides just just feels like excitement; excitement to just be there and dance around.” p team building and exercise. Xu, a Chinese-American, has
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