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Dragon Dance, also called Dragon Lantern Dance, is a traditional folk dance in Chinese.  Dragon Dance is performed in almost all special festivals.

During the dance the performers hold poles and raise and lower the dragon, which is made out of fabric. The lead dancers lift, dip, thrust, and sweep the dragon's head, which may contain animated features controlled by the dancer. One of the performers sould carry a sphere on a pole, the mystical 'Pearl of Wisdom' and his movments with the Dragon symbolizes the dragon's hunt for knowledge, wisdom, and the truth. All the dancers within the dragon dance must cooperate to move the dragon's body in combination with the timing of the drum.

Histoty of Dragon Dance
The dragon is a totem of the Chinese nation. The farming tribes worship it very much. People think dragons can make clouds and bring them rain. Playing dragon dances in the spring will hopefully bring people favorable weather; playing in dry seasons will bring them rain; playing to different families will drive ghosts out. Therefore, the Custom goes on.

Dragon Dance originated from the Han Dynasty (206 BC - 24 AD) and the tradition never faded. Originally performed to please the ancestors and to plead for enough rain for crops and hence preventing sickness and hunger, the Dragon Dance has gradually become a cultural activity. Since the Tang (618-907 AD) and Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD), Dragon Dances can be seen in every festival.

Types of Dragon Dance
Dragon Dance has diversified models and forms.The dragons are made into different forms, such as the cloth dragon, the grass dragon, the fire dragon and the segment dragon. The play is accordingly different.

The cloth dragon has a separate dragon head and body, which is connected with cloth. The longer the dragon is, the more performers there are. One person uses a pearl-like thing to lead the dragon. The dragon will rise or fall, slowly or rapidly. Sometimes, it flies up to the sky, and sometimes it is like hiding under the ocean and breaking waves.

The fire dragon is made with candles put into each section of the dragon body. When performed at night, firecrackers are set off. We see an extremely excellent scene of the fire dragon shuttling back and forth among fireworks.

The grass dragon, also called "burning incense dragon", is made from rice straw and green vines, with burning incenses inserted into it. Played during summer nights, the dragon is like a meteor attracting a lot of insects. When the play is over, the dragon is put into a pool to drown the insects. Therefore, playing with the grass dragon helps get rid of insects.

The Baiye Dragon Dance, popular in Zhejiang Province, is performed by 17 people with specially made stage props in their hands. At first, they sing and dance, like butterflies among flowers. Then, they turn the stage props to form the head and tail of a dragon with some pieces of the lotus-like tools entering the dragon's body When the dragon shoots into the sky, the audience feels the elegance and uniqueness of the dance.