Who are we?
What is Lion Dance?
Lion Dance is a form of traditional dance in Chinese culture and other Asian countries in which performers mimic a lion's movements in a lion costume to bring good luck and fortune. The lion dance is usually performed during the Chinese New Year and other traditional cultural and religious festivals.
Chinese communities use lion dance to honor special guests and to celebrate important occasions such as business opening events, celebrations, or wedding ceremonies.
What We Do
The Cal Poly Lion Dance Team is a division of Cal Poly SLO’s Chinese Student Association (CSA), which Wong Young Louis helped found in 1957. As of 2023, we are also an Instructionally Related Activity (IRA), and function outside CSA. Our current faculty adviser is Dr. Grace I. Yeh, Professor of Ethnic Studies. Our team can be seen performing throughout the year during Chinese New Year or other important cultural events in the general San Luis Obispo area and along the Central Coast.
Anyone and everyone who is interested in trying lion dance is welcome. Come join us on Saturday mornings at 10:00 a.m. behind the H.P. Davidson Music Building! No prior experience is needed - just come and have a great time!
We start with teaching about Chinese culture and lion dance basics.
Then we practice common routines and rhythms for lion dancing.
Finally we travel and perform throughout the state for various special occasions!
“Joining Cal Poly’s Lion Dance Team was one of the most impactful decisions I made during my time in college. It’s a unique team with a long a storied history, and it meant the world to me to be a part of it. I loved being able to embrace and share an aspect of my culture with team and the greater SLO community as a whole.”
“My partner said, ‘I bet [the Los Osos community] has never seen anything like [lion dances] , so we should have it our store’ And that’s the beginning. We have been doing it for over 15 years.”
The Team
