Chinatown Street Lion Dance with Shaggy Fur Body

A big lion dance head with swirly eyebrows, round eyes, a wide open mouth and zigzag teeth fills the middle of this street scene. A shaggy body made of layered, ragged strips of fur spreads out behind it. A boy stands at the front with both arms raised, smiling, and several more performers walk under the lion with their legs showing. The street is paved with bricks, and curly ribbons or paper streamers lie scattered across it. Behind the lion you can see a multi-tiered pagoda-style roof, a curved street lamp, tall buildings, hanging banners and signs with Chinese characters. This is a good page for practicing contrast. Try bold reds, golds and greens on the lion's head, then soft pastels on the fur strips so the texture stays easy to see. Kids can also pick a different color for each streamer on the ground. It works well for a classroom talk about how lion dances are part of New Year parades.