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The Australian Jow Ga Kung Fu Academy provides spectacular choreographed Lion Dance, Kung Fu and Wushu
performances throughout the year for a variety of private and public functions and events. Lion Dance can be booked
for auspicious occasions such as Chinese New Year, the Moon Festival or any special celebration.
We perform at private parties for birthdays, anniversaries and weddings. In the corporate and public
sectors our Lion Dance and Kung Fu Spectacular is popular for business/event launches, schools,
festivals, fairs and restaurant functions. Our team performs lion dance and kung fu for Lionfest, one
of Sydney's premier Kung Fu events, held in Chinatown.
We are regular performers for Sydney City and local government Chinese New Year events and for NSW
Chinese Cultural Centre events.
Some corporate clients and venues we have performed Lion Dance for include Qantas, Singapore Tourism Board,
the Youth Olympics, the Art Gallery of NSW, the Chinese Garden of Friendship Darling Harbour, the Sydney Museum,
Colonial First State, Citibank, Macquarie University, the University of NSW, Westfield, the Cancer Council,
Dragon Boat racing carnival, RSL clubs and many more.
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Contact Us for enquiries and bookings - we'll tailor our performance for you.
Of all cultural festivities Lion Dance is one of the most spectacular to watch. It is an exciting
combination of theatre, music, history and vigorous Kung Fu. Lion Dance requires great strength and
stamina - the artists must perform Kung Fu, lift the lion and lift each other throughout the performance.
The lion is a legendary creature which embodies the qualities of mythical animals: the phoenix,
the dragon and the unicorn. Mirrors adorn its head to ward off evil.
A traditional offering of ‘choy ching’ or 'greens' are generally made to the lion along with a
Hung Bao lucky envelope gift.
The lion circles the choy ching to ensure there are no poisons or hidden traps.
When it decides they are safe it chews the greens & spits them out at the audience to bring good
fortune, traditionally symbolic in of a bountiful harvest for the future.
This symbolic traditional practice is thought to have originated in Southern China in times of famine.
During the oppressive rule of the Manchus of the Ching Dynasty the use & spitting of the choy ching
became a pun on words and actions - symbolic both of spreading good fortune AND also of literally
casting out and rebelling against the Ching Dynasty.
Other forms of Lion Dance however predate this period - having been a New Year's tradition for many
hundreds of years and taking place throughout the two-week period of the New Year Festival.
It is believed to chase away evil spirits and bring good luck, longevity, happiness and prosperity
to the households and businesses visited. The final grand performance of the lion dance usually
takes place on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month when New Year celebrations officially culminate.
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