Most people have heard of the dragon dance, but not as many have heard of the lion dance, the lion dance is often mistaken for the dragon dance, but the easiest way to tell them apart is the lion dance is done by two people, one person controls the front legs, head and mouth, the other person controls the back legs and tail. Whereas the dragon dance is done by a line of people holding long poles.
The basic movements of the lion dance are found in martial arts. The performers dress in a lion costume and mimic the movements of a lion, to bring about good luck. It is performed at new year, and other important occasions, such as weddings, business opening events and to honor special guests.
Both the lion and dragon dance are very old traditions that demand that the performers have high acrobatic skills and years of hard training are involved. According to tradition the Chinese believe the lion signifies courage, superiority and stability.
There are different styles of lion dance, the biggest distinction being the northern and southern. The northern lion dance was used to entertain the imperial court. While the southern was more symbolic and performed during rituals.
North South Divide Cocktail
30ml of V.I.P Jiu 8
¼ teaspoon of coffee granules
¾ teaspoon of cocoa powder
2 teaspoons of condensed milk
75ml of single cream
¾ teaspoon of strawberry syrup
3 ice cubes
1 cocktail cherry
A sprig of mintIn mixing glass put V.I.P Jiu 8, add coffee and cocoa, stir well to mix, add the condensed milk, strawberry syrup and cream, stir thoroughly to mix, put ice cubes into a tall glass and pour cocktail over. Garnish with cherry and mint.