Lion Dancing is one of the oldest cultural arts of the Chinese people. It dates back to the Tang Dynasty, around 800A.D. The origin of the lion dance lay in the restless dreams of the Emperor of the time. The Emperor had a dream in which he was being attacked by his enemies, but just as he was about to be overtaken, he was saved by a mysterious creature.

When he woke, the Emperor tried to tell his counselors about this fabulous beast that had saved him, but no one could tell him what it was. Finally, one counselor said that it sounded like a creature that could be found in the West- a lion. Lions are not native to China, so none of the counselors had seen this beast with their own eyes. Thus, the Chinese lion was created by combining the features of the dragon and the phoenix.

Because the lion had saved the Emperor, the lion was considered to be good luck, and so the lion dance evolved as a way to encourage good luck and ward off bad luck.Lion dancing is now traditionally performed at Chinese New Year, parades, weddings, when a new baby is born or a new business opens.

The Eastern Ways Lion Dance Team performs all across northern California and beyond.