Dragon and lion dance popularity surges
longest dragon and perform the dance as well in the streets of Binondo, where SunLife’s office is also located.
In 2005, Sun Life asked the group make a dragon that should be carried by 30 people. In 2006, it commissioned the group to make a longer dragon, a 500-foot long dragon carried by 60 people from head to tail. In 2007, again for SunLife, the group made the longest, 1,200-foot long dragon, which required 120 performers to carry and dance it on the narrow streets of Binondo.
“It took five performers to carry the face of the dragon, which is the size of a bicycle’s sidecar.”
Apart from creating the longest dragon, Lutrania and his group is also known for creating sturdy and quality-grade lion figures. His dragons and lions feature colorful designs and patterns highlighted by sheep skin and sparkling ornaments, making them appear gay and happy. “Each dragon or lion is unique. You won’t find one design shared by two lions.”
Lutrania’s getting into the craft of making these Chinese mythical creatures was prompted by necessity. When he formed his group 15 years ago, they were using imported and expensive lion figures, which wore easily. A friend taught Lutrania how to make one and soon he found himself making lion heads.
As his group swelled to more than a hundred people, the demand for the images also increased. Lutrania saw fit to put up a shop where a staff of 10 people helps him create more lion and dragon images for use of his group and affiliates. Lutrania said he also makes lions for use by other lion dance groups outside of Metro Manila. This year alone, he was able to produce 20 lions and four dragons.
Lutrania’s lion dance group began with only seven people, all of them breakaway members from a bigger lion dance group. They had the basic two sets of lion heads, cymbals and drums. Lutrania provided the drum beats, while the rest performed the dance. elicits laughter from the crowd with his silly moves.
Lutrania’s clients today include big brands such as Chowking, Xavier School, Shell, San Miguel Brewery, and Philam Life.
For this year’s Chinese New Year celebration, Lutrania has already took in about 30 lion dance and dragon dance jobs. Rates could range from P8,000 to as high as P20,000, depending on the number of performers or lions and dragons involved. The big number of jobs can be accomplished by the more than 250 performers under his big group, many of whom he personally trained.
Keeping this big group of lion dancers and providing jobs to people in his neighborhood are sure signs that luck indeed would come to this fellow.