The Lion Dance: Moving Like the Silent Warrior

One of the first questions that pop into one’s head is why the Lion Dance was created first;
indeed, granted that the Chinese people worship dragons, as well as the fact that a dragon is, in
fact, the ancient symbol of China, it would have been much more reasonable to create the
Dragon Dance prior to the Lion Dance, especially in the light of the fact that lions do not inhabit
China. Nowadays professional belly dance in Russia is performed by hired dancers, who are
performing for tourists or affluent locals at fancy hotels, clubs, and on special dinner cruises
(Melike, para 4). Payment is usually made in cash or by placement banknotes on the body of the
dancer as she passes by.
It is common for top-rated Russian dancers to emigrate to work in western and Middle East cities
(Melike paras 3). Only a few of them return, and those who do settle down abroad usually set up
their dancing schools or studios. In advanced dance studios, classes are conducted via video
lessons and watching pre-recorded performances.
There is little few on the history of belly dance in Russia. This has been blamed for the autocratic
Soviet Union regimes when private businesses were illegal in the country, and it was against the
law to move out of the country for work.

Indeed, taking a closer look at the way in which lions are portrayed during the dance, one must
admit that the masks, though very artistic, can hardly be considered the exact representations of
how lions actually look. Thus, it can be assumed that the lion dance originated as a means to lift
the spirit of the Chinese warriors and lead them to victory.
Indeed, according to the existing sources, in the given performance, the dancers “use a
sequence of martial art steps in the performance of Chinese lion dance to illustrate the
effectiveness of the system” (Li and Chen 551).
The Dragon Dance: In Search for the Wisdom of the Ancient
In contrast to its more bellicose counterpart, the dragon as the symbol of the dance of the same
name was supposed to relate to the agricultural needs of rural China. As soon as the martial
issues have been settled, the Chinese people realized that the Chinese lands are far from being
fertile, which led to the idea that worshipping the spirit of fertility along with using the
technologies of the time could be of some use (Assad 51).
The Dragon Dance, with its grandeur and magnificence, was the result: “Unlike the jealous,
jewel-hoarding monster of medieval European lore, the Chinese dragon is a benevolent beast”
(Dennis 8).
Considering the Dragon Dance a bit closer, one will see that not only the length of the beast but
other elements as well, including the decorations, is considerably different from the one in the
Lion Dance. Though the two dances doubtlessly share a range of similarities specified above,
they have also been clearly designed to denote different issues and be used for different
purposes.
Introduction
Foreign dance classes have become popular in Russia since the collapse of the Soviet Union
(Radchenko 1). Many young women and men have started to practice foreign dances for
professional reasons or just for fun. In Russia, Belly Dance, Irish Dance, Indian Dance, Flamenco,
and Swing Dance have become tremendously popular (Radchenko 1).
This essay will employ a variety of sources both from the internet and printed ones to examine
various aspects of Belly Dance in Russia with focus on its style, training, professional
performance, competitions, festivals, costumes, and management. Toward the end of the paper,
a single artist will be chosen to reveal the state of the dance industry in Russia. The paper, in
general, is aimed to pinpoint various nature of the Belly Dance in Russia.
Ballroom dancing is another style of a more classical school of dance, which incorporates dozens
of sub-styles. This style is most prevalent in Europe, attracting a broad audience with its
expensive and rich tournaments. Ballroom dancing is primarily a competitive style, where
individuals contest for prizes or higher classifications. Ballroom dance is most often associated
with ten principal dances of Standard and Latin; however, the categorization has always been
fluid, depending on countries and periods, with new hops occasionally being added to or
removed from the ballroom repertoire.
Opposing the more conservative ballet and ballroom dances, hip-hop is a wholly distinct style of
dance that significantly differs in its age, audience, style, and performance places. It is a high-
energy dance that originated in the 1980s in New York City from Hispanic and African-American
communities and the hip-hop culture (BBC Arts, 2015). Hip Hop dance includes various evolved
styles based on some core moves such as breaking, popping, locking, and krumping.
The styles of dancing vary in their history, moves, music; however, they are all an expression of
personality. Despite the competitiveness of the dancing industry, the community has united
millions of people through the art of movement, continuing to inspire all generations. With a wide
variety of dancing styles, each person may find one that corresponds to their personality the
most and enjoys it as a hobby or a career
Realization of Growth
When I first discovered the fun and thrill of tap dance is when I realized my passion for dance.
When I was growing up, I knew very little about tap dance, but my love for music led me to
discover more about it. All I knew was that dancing was fun, and as long as I could move my
body, I could dance to any type of music. Upon learning about the thrill of tap dance, my level of
love for dance went high, and my life was never the same again. Before that, I never knew the
importance of choreography and creative dance movements. However, with my new interest in
tap dance, I realized the need to learn choreography, and I learned a few moves for specific
music.
This particular accomplishment led to self-discovery that sparked and changed my life forever.
The need to learn more about dance also changed my social circles because I started spending
more time with dancers. Learning more dancing skills also requires me to be fit, and so the urge
for exercise comes along. I started living a healthier lifestyle filled with happiness from the
dance. Tap dancing fits almost all types of music, especially those with the least established
beats (Schroeder, 2018). That aspect makes it easy to dance along to songs from various genres
and times.
Reflection
After discovering the fun and joy associated with tap dance, I questioned its popularity. When I
knew little about tap dance, I had this theory that dance is for older people. I later discovered
that younger people perform tap dance across various cultures. However, I wondered why it was
less popular compared to other dances, such as ballet. The fact that I did not know the thrill of
tap dance for so long prompted the thought of its popularity. After realizing the fun of the dance,
I could not keep track of time because I was always glued to devices while watching YouTube
videos of different tap dancers. I wondered why I did not discover this fun earlier enough or why I
didn’t my friend know about it too.
Performers of The Agbadza Dance, Why and Where It Is Performed
The dance is performed in rituals, naming occasions, festivals, political ceremonies, religious
events, and philosophical arenas. Any human who has the desired body structure will perform it
and mothers play crucial roles in shaping their babies. They massage their bodies using shear
butter, warm water, a towel, and other existing materials. The music and the dance have a very
close relationship that separating them will change the whole meaning (Green 9). It becomes
entertaining when performers use various instruments to make the dance lively.
The tools include the Agbadzu drum set consisting of the rattle, doorbell, master drum, three
supporting drums, and the alternate master drum. The role of the doorbell is to generate the
primary rhythm for the master and alternate master drums (Green 10). The sounds made by
drums are understood as a unique language, and only experts have the power to produce them.
There are instances when singers will vocalize the rhythm of playing drums, and the critical
player instrument is the master drum while the support drums will respond accordingly.
(Schauert 50).
Body Parts Performing the Agbadza Dance (BASTE Model)
It is important to note that the dance takes effect by moving various body parts. The systematic
movement develops through the preparation stage, the main motion, and the climaxing stage. At
the preparation stage, soft trends are demonstrated as the feet develop concurrent side steps
while the arms open and close with the feet motion observing time in a unique and desirable
manner (Kuwor 49). The events occur repetitively and it uses less energy and according to the
Ewe culture, the preparation stage is an important remi