Compiled by JUNAID IBRAHIM AND C.ARUNO
A TRADITIONAL lion and dragon dance troupe will not be doing their usual routines this Chinese New year, instead they will perform the much rarer snake dance to celebrate the Year of the Snake, reported China Press.
Troupe leader Chen Zhen Kang, 34, showcased the troupe’s new snake puppet which was decked in gold scales.
“The golden snake is a symbol of prosperity. May it bring good luck, health and happiness, and encourage everyone to welcome the Year of the Snake with hope.”
The puppet underwent an “eye-dotting” ceremony to awaken and give it life on Saturday.
According to Chen, the puppet required nine experienced troupe members to manoeuvre.
However, he added the snake dance was simpler and needed less acrobatic stunts unlike the dragon dance.
To overcome the public’s fear of snakes, the troupe has added many auspicious Chinese sayings on the puppet’s body, he said.
The above articles are compiled from the vernacular newspapers (Bahasa Malaysia, Chinese and Tamil dailies). As such, stories are grouped according to the respective language/medium. Where a paragraph begins with a >, it denotes a separate news item.
