On Sunday, Feb. 11, Penn State Berks will celebrate the Lunar New Year with a live performance of the traditional Asian art form of the Lion Dance by the Penn Lions dance troupe in the Perkins Student Center Auditorium. This free event begins at 2 p.m. and is open to the public. Reserve a space and view the full schedule on Eventbrite.
The Lion Dance originated in China and dates back 5,000 years. Performers mimic a lion’s movements in a lion costume to tell a story and bring good luck and fortune to the audience. Each lion is controlled by two people; one orchestrates the head movements, and one follows the other’s footwork in the tail. A typical lion dance performance tells a story of one or two lions overcoming an obstacle before obtaining a meaningful object.
Penn Lions, the University of Pennsylvania’s premier dance troupe, performs the traditional art of lion dance in and around the Greater Philadelphia area. The troupe includes nearly 30 students with performances year-round. Penn Lions won the East Coast Intercollegiate Lion Dance Competition in 2010, 2013, 2016 and 2023. To date, Penn Lions has given over 300 performances and workshops.
The performance will be followed by activities and light refreshments in the Perkins Student Center Multipurpose Room. This event is sponsored by the Penn State Berks Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) Committee in collaboration with the college’s global engagement staff; student clubs including International Klub and the Asian Culture Club; and the Office of Campus Life. For more information, contact DEIB Committee co-chairs Alexa Hodge at AEH221@psu.edu or Aubrey Edwards at ARE12@psu.edu.
