The Kwan Family Lion Dance Team performs at the 2013 Cleveland Asian Festival.

The traditional Chinese Lion Dance helped open the 2013 Cleveland Asian Festival on Saturday, May 18. Returning to perform the traditional dance was the Kwan Family Lion Dance Team.

The Lion Dance is different from the Dragon Dance in that a lion has only a pair of people creating the animal’s movements hidden under the costume, while Dragon dances demand several people and are usually visible. The movements are based on Chinese martial arts and are accompanied by music, most noticeably a vigorous drum that sets the varied pacing throughout the dance.

If you visit the Kwan Family Lion Dance Facebook page, you’ll notice that the group lists itself in the category of “athlete.” And with good reason. Watch them perform and you’ll see not only a strenuous routine, but the hours of preparation the discipline demands are clearly evident.

You can find the Cleveland Asian Festival online here: http://clevelandasianfestival.org/2013/

You can find the Kwan Family on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Kwan-Lion-Dance/271823607012