North Shore NewsBy Noah Grodzin
On January 29th Waialua High and Intermediate School’s very own Wing Sing Lion Dance Team toured shops up and down Hale‘iwa spreading new year’s good luck and cheers!
With an explosive bang from their traditional drum along with cymbals and gong the team quickly made their presence felt catching the attention of both locals and passerby’s as they gathered along the sidewalks amongst and in-between store fronts to watch the Wing Sing Lion Dance Team as they ushered in the Year of the Snake!
The team assembled first at Seven Brothers, then made their way down to Rajanee, over to Matsumoto’s, and completed the tour at Stonefish. Two ornate and brightly colored lions weaved their way in and out of the business dining rooms and kitchens as people fed the lions with red envelopes filled with donations for the program. Earlier that same day the team also performed at Manaoala Shops, two pre-schools, as well as Wahiawa Baptist Church. Leading up to the day the team previously performed with another group in Honolulu China Town. These north shore kids have been busy!
Ian Cablay who has been the band leader at WHIS for the past sixteen years has built the Lion Dance program up from scratch. Ian himself was an active performing member of an international Lion Dance Team at one time ranking 5th in the world.
The Wing Sing Team has brand new outfits along with new instruments and Lions both directly from China. This is the 2nd year of the program which is the first program of its type in the state to receive accreditation which means each student receives a full three credits for the class which falls under the category of performing arts. Through Lion Dance the kids are learning about perpetuating Chinese culture along with communication, artistic passion, and the ability to interact with different cultures. Ian has big plans for the program, he hopes to identify with a sister program in Hong Kong that perhaps the WHIS students can connect with.
“People born in the Year of the Snake are believed to be perceptive, intelligent and graceful. In Chinese culture, the snake is often linked to the element of fire, which signifies passion, energy and transformation. The year itself is considered a time for reflection, deep thought and personal growth”
Happy Lunar New Year to all and mahalo to Coach Cablay and the entire Wing Sing Lion Dance Team! Gong xi fa cai!