Young and restless: Lion dancers face bleak new year

 

The Chinese New Year is synonymous with family gatherings and thanksgiving. But for a few hundred young lion dance troupe members across the country, the event is a time of camaraderie, tradition, and toil.

This year, however, their drums will be muted and their costumes shelved as the Covid-19 pandemic and movement control order (MCO) restrictions have barred them from performing.

Several performers who spoke to Malaysiakini said they had practiced for years and undergone hardship - including injury - in order to share their love for this art and make a bit of income.

For Chang Keat Seng, 17, this Chinese New Year is filled with sadness as he will not be spending time with his team members as he had over the past five years.

"I'm not used to it. I usually spend the new year with our team. Now I stay at home. There's no new year atmosphere (for us performers)," said Chang, who plays the "lion head".

For now, he will have to contend with playing video games, which he described as a "retiree's lifestyle" before he can pick up the lion's head again.

17-year-old Chang Keat Seng (left) and university student Shazmi Low Shazwon Low, 19.

University student Shazmi Low Shazwon Low, 19, is a member of the lion dance troupe's alumni team. For Low, performing is not only sharing his art, but it also helps pay the bills.

"The 'head' or 'tail' can make around RM2,000 in one season. I saved my income for university fees and living expenses," said Low, who plays the "lion tail".

Low had trained for 11 years to perfect his art and once suffered a chest injury while practising. Not being able to perform this year meant a loss of Chinese New Year atmosphere.

"This new year, I'll be attending online classes and staying fit. I hope the pandemic ends faster so we can resume practising and achieve better results," he said.

Chang and Low are members of the Kajang Yu Hua Dragon and Lion Dance Association, which is associated with SMJK Yu Hua Kajang. It was formed in 1998 to promote Chinese culture and later ventured into fundraising for charity and competitions.

Their head coach Chen Kwee Wai explained to Malaysiakini that his association was like a second home for their members and alumni.

However, the troupe has not been allowed to perform since the start of the pandemic.

"It's like losing the love of your life," said Chen. "We have to endure. We hope the government can loosen restrictions eventually."

Hin Hua High School Lion Dance Performance Troupe

Vice-principal and teacher in charge of Hin Hua High School Lion Dance Performance Troupe, Lee Eng Heng, said the pandemic has been a major blow to the development of the team's members.

The ingredients for performance included physical fitness, technique, and teamwork, explained Lee, and these elements cannot be imparted to students without in-person team practice.

The school's board had banned the group from training since the start of the pandemic to protect them.

Lee said the lion dance troupe was an important fundraising tool for the school and hoped that once restrictions are lifted, they can continue their activities and pass on the art.

Although the abovementioned associations were still sustainable, as they are attached to schools, it was not the case for independent clubs such as the Hong Teck Kepong Cultural Association.

The association's acting president Ng Aik Soon said his group relied on performing and competitions - both locally and abroad - to sustain themselves.

Without these activities, the association is struggling with maintenance bills for the clubhouse and rent. Unlike small businesses that received some government subsidies due to the pandemic, Ng's club had none.

For Ng, what pains him more was that the club could not train and nurture children through martial arts and the performance honed through the lion dance.

Long pauses between training sessions, said Ng, would lead to distraction and members venturing to other activities.

"We just hope that we can resume practising one day," he said.

Malaysia Xuan Wu founder and head coach Choo Kok Yew (middle).

Founder and head coach of Malaysia Xuan Wu, Choo Kok Yew, said his team had only two bookings over the past year which were eventually cancelled.

They were looking forward to making up for lost ground during the Chinese New Year, but that was not to be.

The lack of opportunity and limited practice sessions meant some loss of enthusiasm and members, as some team members found other jobs to support their families.

Choo said his club's overhead was around RM6,000 a month and hoped that the Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry would lend cultural groups a hand during this difficult time. - Mkini