Have you seen lions walking in the streets？It happens at the beginning of each new year. These lions dance to the beat of a drum. But these are not real lions. They are dancers who are in lion costumes （服装）.
There are different types of lion dancing. One of them is called jong （高桩）. In this dance，the dancers use their martial-arts （武术） skills to jump from pole to pole，which is more than 240 centimeters high.
The lions are part of a tradition that is centuries old. This tradition was first stared in China. It is meant to bring good luck in the coming year. Usually，a lion is made up of two dancers. One dancer controls the head. The other controls the tail. "I don't only think of it as a sport，" says Anthony. He is a member of the New York Chinese Athletic Club. He performs as the lion's head. The head can weigh 10 kilograms. Lion dancing is important to Anthony. "It really shows who we Chinese are，as well as the spirit of courage，wisdom and other Chinese traditional cultures，" he says.
In the past，lion dancing was performed mostly by men. But it is more inclusive today. LionDancingMe is a lion dancing group. It is located in California. There are boys and girls on its team. They dance together.
"Anyone can take up lion dancing. We have to have confidence that we can do it，" Ananda，a girl in LionDancingMe says. Lion dancing will likely continue to change，but a team's sense of community will never change. "Many overseas （海外） Chinese see the lion as a symbol of China，" Ananda says. "The lion dancing reminds us of the culture of our motherland. "
