China News Service, Taichung, February 8th: Taiwanese dragon dance boy holds on to his original intention and rides on the trend
China News Service reporter Lu Mei
To the beat of drums and holding dance sticks high, a group of teenagers ran and jumped in the gymnasium. The colorful silk and satin dragons sometimes tumbled, sometimes wandered and hovered through their movements, making them come alive. Chen Zhenyuan, a junior, said that in order to prepare for the Taiwan-wide dragon dance competition in March, he and his partners will train hard throughout the winter vacation with the goal of winning the championship.
Recently, the National Taiwan Sports University dragon and lion dance team practiced dragon dance in the school gymnasium. Photo by China News Service reporter Lu Mei
Recently, reporters from China News Service visited the dragon and lion dance team of the National Taiwan Sports University (NTSU) in Taichung, Taiwan. The instructor of this team is Chen Chongyou, associate professor of the Department of Physical Education of the school. He established the dragon and lion dance team in 2002, not only out of a sense of mission to inherit traditional folk skills, but also in the hope that students will have unique skills and be more employable when employed. Has advantages.
In 1994, mainland China included dragon dance as a competitive sports event. In 1997, the International Dragon and Lion Federation (renamed the International Dragon and Lion Sports Federation) was headquartered in Beijing, and various competitive dragon dance competitions gradually became large-scale. The Olympic Council of Asia even included dragon dance as an official competition event in the 2007 Asian Indoor Games.
Competitive dragon dancing in Taiwan obviously started late. Chen Chongyou still clearly remembers the shock he received when he led a team to participate in a competition in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province for the first time in 2004: "At that time, we could only dance in traditional forms. Only after watching the teams in Shanghai, Hong Kong and Singapore did we realize that competitive dragon dancing was still You can play like this!”
On January 24, Chen Chongyou (left), associate professor of the Department of Physical Education at National Taiwan Sports University, was demonstrating movement skills to students. Photo by China News Service reporter Lu Mei
Although he finished last in the first round, Chen Chongyou also gained new knowledge during the exchanges. In 2007, he invited a dragon dance coach from Shanghai to teach in Taiwan. He led the Taiwanese sports team to practice their skills hard, and gradually formed their own characteristics. The competition results improved rapidly, and they have participated in many competitions such as the Asian Dragon and Lion Championships and the World Dragon and Lion Championships. Get a medal, even come out on top.
Chen Zhenyuan is this year's "fresh" competition champion. In early January, he and his teammates represented the Chinese Taipei team in the "2024 World Dragon King Championship" held in Malaysia. They defeated more than ten participating teams and won the championship, becoming a veritable "Dragon King". “This is our Year of the Dragon, and I’m looking forward to performing for everyone as a world champion!”
Recalling the scene of winning the championship, Chen Zhenyuan showed a smile on his sweaty face. When he was in elementary school, he liked and started practicing lion dance. He specifically chose a junior high school and a high school with dragon and lion teams to practice dragon dance. He also went to the mainland to participate in dragon dance competitions to gain experience until he entered the Department of Physical Education of National Taiwan Sports University. He first had to study in Taiwan. Only if you win the regional competition can you represent the Chinese Taipei team in the World Series.
There have been setbacks, injuries and fatigue along the way, and high-intensity training day and night, but it has never made Chen Zhenyuan flinch. Instead, it has made him more and more resilient in the face of difficulties. "I just stick to my original intention," he said. "To me, this is not only a traditional folk activity, but also a spirit of unity where everyone joins hands and moves forward for the same goal. It can be said that, Because of dragon dancing, I am who I am today.”
The joy of winning this championship inspired Chen Zhenyuan. He also noticed that teams from mainland China, Malaysia and other places have rapid technological innovation and progress. In comparison, the Taiwanese team seems to lack improvement. He said that the competition in the dragon dance competition is very fierce. We can win probably because we have practiced more than others and have a slight advantage. But we cannot stay where we are. I want to continue to push this skill to the next level.
Graduates from the Department of Physical Education of National Taiwan Sports University can often rely on their expertise in dragon and lion dance or martial arts to teach in primary and secondary schools with dragon and lion teams, and are even hired by schools in South Korea and other places to teach. Chen Zhenyuan said that he hopes to improve his skills like his seniors and engage in work related to dragon and lion dance after graduation. He also hopes that more people can participate in it.
Recently, members of the National Taiwan Sports University Dragon and Lion Dance Team practiced lion dance in the school gymnasium. Photo by China News Service reporter Lu Mei
If they can win the Taiwan-wide dragon dance competition in March, Chen Zhenyuan and his partners will be eligible to participate in international competitions again. Determined to win, the teenagers practiced hard for nearly 10 hours every day. "I want to see how far I can practice and what kind of competition opportunities I can get. I want to continue to show my talent in dragon and lion dance and let everyone know me." He said, "I also want to continue to win. "(over)