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A sudden percussion frenzy hits the audience as black and white lions race down the aisles and leap onto the stage. It's immediately riveting: the bright colors, the rhythmic beating of the drum and the kung fu sequences soon have the crowd cheering.

This is Chinese lion dancing. Formed in 2003, the JHU Lion Dance Troupe has already gained much acclaim in Maryland, and has been invited to perform at weddings, birthdays and at other universities. I sat down with its president, Christopher Yu, to understand more about the art.

"There are generally two people that make up an individual lion," Chris said, demonstrating with his lion costume. "One person makes up the head of the lion and is generally lighter. The `head' controls the eyes and the mouth from the inside, and is responsible for jumps.

The person in the back," he continued, "plays the tail of the lion. He keeps up with the footwork and balances the head during jumps." I ask him how much a single lion costume costs. "About one thousand dollars," he replied as I almost dropped the head.

Those seven hundred dollars pay for a ten pound lion head and a very long tail. Every head is custom built from paper-mache and bamboo sticks, creating a strong and sturdy frame which the "head" balances on his shoulders.

Attached to the lion head is a long piece of cloth that the "tail" crouches under for most of the performance. It's hot and sweaty under there, and it takes a lot of practice to get the synchronization of the two body parts perfect.

"It's the music that assists in the timing," Chris explained. "Traditionally, there's a drum, a gong and a pair of cymbals. Percussionists are a key element in any performance."

The troupe musicians have multiple purposes. One is to instruct the lion dancers. While inside the costume, it is difficult to see the surroundings. The tail dancer relies heavily on the head to guide him around the stage, and, though the head dancer can usually see through the lion's mouth, the head depends upon the music to know which action to step into.

I had to admit that it all looked very impressive, but I didn't understand the point of it. "Lion dancing has a lot of different meanings," Chris answered. "Generally, it's performed to bring good luck and fortune, while driving away evil spirits. It's also a method of displaying kung fu skill and technique."

Within the last few centuries, the connotation of lion dancing had drastically changed. At first, lion dancing was an entertainment performed solely for the nobility and consisted of a much larger troupe, including at least a hundred people singing a melody. The transition of the art into civilian life did not happen until much later, when martial art schools became prominent in China.

To control violence levels, the government forbade kung fu schools from using physical attacks to compete against one another. In order to get around this restriction, many schools began to incorporate lion dancing into their programs, and used their performances as methods of presenting their expertise.

However, in the 1950s, lion dancing began to receive a bad reputation. Many gangs in Hong Kong were using lion dancing to obtain money in exchange for "protection." In order to preserve lion dancing, the government illegalized gang related dancing, and required troupes to carry a license in order to perform.

In modern times, lion dancing is no longer just a Chinese art form. Having spread throughout most Asian countries, lion dancing is considered to be something between a sport and an art.

The JHU Lion Dance Troupe is one of the most equipped collegiate lion dance troupes. Prior to the 2006 Culture Show, the troupe performed at many different venues on campus, such as the Chinese Moon Festival.

With currently 25 active members, their next performance will be held at Bryn Mawr University. To learn more, e-mail them at liondance@jhu.edu.

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