Daring spectacle: The Kun Seng Keng Muar Lion and Dragon Dance Troupe performing a lion dance on stilts.
JOHOR BARU: It is a busy time for lion and dragon dance troupes here as they seek to meet a large number of bookings for performances, with Chinese New Year (CNY) just a few days away.
Nam Wah Kangkar Pulai Lion and Dragon Dance Troupe president Datuk Teoh Booi Fooi said he noticed a 20% increase in demand for such performances this year compared with 2024.
“It is a busy year. In the two weeks leading up to CNY, we already have a full schedule with dozens of requests for performances.
“Things will get even more hectic during CNY as we rush from one event to another to meet the high demand.
“We will have back-to-back performances from morning until night during the first 13 days of CNY, with up to 30 performances in a single day,” he said in an interview.
Teoh said that while the dance troupe primarily focuses in Johor, it also travels to other states to perform upon request.
“Most of the bookings are from Johor, but we will also be going to Melaka, Penang and Kuala Lumpur.
“We were also invited to perform in Beijing, China, and will be sending a troupe there for four days starting from the second day of CNY,” he said.
Teoh added, however, that there is a dip in bookings for performances from Feb 10 onwards.
“Maybe we will see more bookings as we get closer to Feb 10.
“I think about 80% of the bookings have been made, and only a few groups have yet to secure a performance,” he said.
Kun Seng Keng Muar Lion and Dragon Dance Troupe president Lim Wei Khang said they will be very busy for the first 15 days of CNY.
“There are also more requests for lion dances on stilts this year, but we can only take three or four bookings a day for such performances as they require more preparation and equipment.
“For regular lion and dragon dances, we have an average of about 10 performances a day from the first to the 15th day of CNY,” he said.
He added that the troupe performs all over the country and will also be travelling to Brunei and Beijing to perform this year.
“While things are going well and bookings for CNY are encouraging, the demand is still not as high as before the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Since the pandemic, people have become more aware of infectious diseases and are more cautious.
“Concerns about Covid-19 may no longer be there, but there are influenza and flu cases that discourage people from holding large gatherings,” he said.
Meanwhile, Hong Yan Taman Johor Dance Troupe president Yeo Han Leong said they are taking a maximum of 10 bookings per day for CNY.
“The majority of the bookings are from Johor Baru, where the traffic has gone from bad to worse.
“We try not to take too many bookings to avoid having to rush from one location to another amid the traffic congestion,” he said.
