Inconditional of the Spring Festival, the lion dances are very appreciated by the Mauritians. Backstage with the Wuji Cultural Group (WCG).
Their ease on the ground as well as in the air forces admiration. But, behind it all there is a lot of physical preparation: “In addition to the Spring Festival, our team meets 3 to 4 times a week for rehearsals. For us, the key word is coordination, whether it is for those who practice the lion dance or those who do traditional dances” explains Julien Verloppe, one of the founding members of the WCG.
And for the occasion the lions will be out: “For the Chinese New Year, the lion dances are very much in demand unlike the dragon dances. It is believed that the lion brings happiness, success and longevity to every family or business that welcomes it. This year, we are already booked for performances in shopping malls and hotels.”
The particularity of the WCG is especially the acrobatics: “Our group is one of the few to offer more advanced acrobatics when it comes to our lion dances. This is what has contributed a lot to our reputation since our creation in 2017” explains Julien.
