Most who have experienced the tradition of lion dancing might be content staying a spectator for fear of feeling embarrassed to wear a huge costume while dancing. But for junior Ryan Cruz, he remains fearless in pursuing his passion for the ancient performance art. 

The long-standing tradition of the lion dance dates back to the Han Dynasty and was at its peak during the Tang Dynasty in China. It was performed during religious festivals, and it became so popular that the celebrations were brought to Japan as entertainment for the royal court. The significance of the dance imbues a sense of cultural pride and identity for the Chinese people as well as continuing to bridge diverse communities today. 

“The most important aspect of the dance is to spread good luck to everyone and the businesses we dance at,” Cruz said. “This also scares away evil spirits and prevents them from entering back into those businesses. It is also important to not step on the threshold of a door because it breaks the seal of good luck.”

Cruz began when he was only ten years old, and, at the time, he never considered the possibility of trying out lion dancing.

“Originally, I started doing kung-fu, and for a while, just honed my skills towards that martial art,” Cruz said. “Then, they [my instructors] handed us these [lion] heads, and [they] were just having us do random things. Since I was still a kid, I didn’t know what was going on, so I just did what they said. Eventually, they started putting me into shows and I started understanding what [lion dancing] is like. I learned the story of how lion dancing came to be, and I decided to continue lion dancing.”

When starting out, Cruz had some difficulties with handling the lion, particularly with the physical aspect of the celebration.

“What happened to me was that I had to transition from a little baby head to the typical adult lion head.” Cruz said. “The problem was that the baby lion’s head was only two pounds, but the adult lion weighed ten times as much, so it took some time getting used to.”

Gallery • 4 Photos

Lifting up the lion head, Cruz compares the sizable head to his own.

With some tweaks made after his initial experience with the lion costume, Cruz embraced his role as “the head” and has made a schedule to ensure lion dancing runs smoothly.

“I actually work through both of the head and the tail, “ Cruz said. “I practice lifting both of those parts up on my shoulders, which isn’t a problem partly because I enjoy lifting anyway. I, along with my brother, then go through several practice routines before the event, and then the show starts.”

Cruz has not only made valiant efforts to improve the luck of the businesses and malls that he’s danced at, but also inspires his spectators, most notably his own brother. 

“Even when he’s tired, he decides that he wants to help people,” sophomore Elijah Cruz said. “With lion dancing, he brings people good fortune and luck. He pushes himself to bring people joy, and, physically, he’s actually gotten stronger and his endurance has gotten a huge boost.”

For Cruz, the tradition of lion dancing has become one of the most important aspects of his life, and he plans to keep it that way.

“I want to stay with lion dancing,” Cruz said. “I’ve come a long way [from] training as a baby lion to becoming one of the main lions at Caesar’s Palace, and I’ve come to realize that I have always enjoyed it.”