We’ve been waiting for months to publicly debut our new LED lions, and patience certainly paid off with our game-changing performance at the Feast of Fortune, organized by St. Paul’s Foundation.
It was one of our most anticipated events of the year, and the fact that it was to support raising funds toward improving health-care treatment and services for patients and their families, it was an event that we really worked hard to perfect.
Preparing for our first LED lion dance performance
We teased our LED lion dances months ago, and we did our best to keep them a secret until the big day. It made it even more rewarding that we got to pair it up with our special LED dragon, making for our first all-LED lion and dragon dance show.
After unloading everything into a green room provided by Parq, we double checked and finalized our routine with the entire team, walking through the beautifully decorated ballroom and ensuring that the stage was big enough for a 10-person dragon dance team.
Next, our 2 brand-new LED lions took their place on two small stages in the middle of the ballroom, turning on their glowing lights and attracting attendees for pictures and petting. The lions sleepily awaited the percussion that would fully wake them up as the dragon took its position just outside the main stage.
See how an LED dragon dance lights up and energizes an event
Once we heard the thunderous sound of the drum, our dragon flew into action, snaking through the crowd and making its way to the main stage. As impressive as a dragon dance normally is with its coiling, bowing, and sweeping waves, it was made much more special with the LEDs adorning the side of its magnificent flowing fabric.
We had only used this new LED dragon a few times before, a few highlights being our performance at the Chinese Canadian Museum opening and a few sunset performances on Canada Day. But this was the first time we used it indoors in dim lighting, allowing the full colour and beauty of our dragon to shine.
Attendees loved how the bright lighting flowed and illuminated with our 9 performers, and they were about to see an even more colourful show with our new LED lions.
As a dragon dance is a large undertaking requiring at least 13 people, we partnered with our friends at Hung Hsing Choy Lee Fut and UBC Kung Fu. We are always happy to collaborate with our sibling club and other affiliated clubs. Teamwork is an important part of our kung fu culture, and performing together as a family really helps bring the community together.
The new Chau Luen Athletics LED lions take the main stage for the first time
After our seemingly quick twirl around the stage (time flies when you’re having fun), the lions made their way up and put on a show of their own. Similar to our other performances (but now with a flashy twist), hundreds of VIPs and donors were showered with fresh, green lettuce as they admired our best lion dancers’ fast feet and sharp moves.
Then, some top VIPs in the healthcare industry took to the stage alongside our dragon for some photos before our dragon did a few more laps around them to conclude the performance.
Helping to fund the new St. Paul’s Hospital in Vancouver
We are extremely grateful to be given an opportunity to perform for the St. Paul’s Foundation and all of the donors who will make the new St. Paul’s Hospital a reality. Being able to contribute to something as critical as our health-care system is important to us, and to do it using a mix of our traditional Chinese lion and dragon dances and our shiny new toys made it even more special.
Our team hopes to work with St. Paul’s Foundation again in future years to ring in the Lunar New Year. As this was one of our last major performances for the year, the Chau Luen Athletics team wishes you a prosperous and healthy Year of the Dragon!
Editor’s note: As we are often flooded with requests for the Lunar New Year period, we advise that anyone wishing to book us for the Year of the Snake (2025) to get in contact with us as soon as possible using the button below. Reserve your spot now – we’ve already received many booking requests, so don’t miss out!
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