In the High Pole Lion Dance, costumes and accessories serve not only as aesthetic elements but also play a crucial role in ensuring physical safety, enhancing dramatic expression, and conveying symbolic meaning.

Dancer’s Inner Garment

The performers inside the lion costume wear loose, flexible clothing typically made from cotton or sweat-absorbing fabric. This ensures comfort and freedom of movement during jumps and spins. Nowadays, performers often prefer wearing printed cotton T-shirts featuring their troupe's name. In addition, dancers wear knee and elbow pads made from high-quality foam or rubber to reduce injury risks during vigorous movements like leaping between poles. Special acrobatic shoes with rubber soles and anti-slip grip are also worn to provide maximum traction on the narrow, often slippery poles. These lightweight shoes are designed to enhance agility and safety.

Lion Costume

The lion costume is usually made of brightly colored velvet (such as red, yellow, green, or black), each color symbolizing bravery, wisdom, and spiritual power. It is decorated with synthetic fur and scaled patterns to mimic the mythical lion’s appearance. The fur reflects light during movement to create a dramatic visual effect. Small mirrors are stitched onto the lion’s forehead, believed in Taoist tradition to ward off evil spirits. While, the lion’s horns and long beard reference legendary characters from Chinese folklore, particularly the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, represented through color symbolism:

Red (Guan Yu): Represents loyalty and courage

Yellow (Liu Bei): Symbolizes wisdom and justice

Black (Zhang Fei): Embodies strength and firmness

Each color holds symbolic meaning, chosen not merely for aesthetics but to convey specific character traits or spiritual energy intended by the performing troupe.

Iconic Costume Accessories

Small bells are sewn onto the lion’s tail or body, producing a mystical sound that signals the presence of the “lion spirit” during the performance. The lion’s eyes can blink or rotate, controlled internally by the performer handling the head, allowing the lion to express emotions such as anger, alertness, joy, or fear. A moveable mouth enhances interaction with the audience, adding dramatic flair and realism to the performances.

Traditional musical instruments used in High Pole Lion Dance performances are typically played live, rooted in the folk music traditions of Southern China. Three main instruments are commonly featured:

Drum (Shigu, 鼓)

This is the principal instrument of the performance. It sets the rhythm, tempo, and emotional tone for each movement of the lion. The drum beats often reflect the lion's expressions—from slow movements while stalking, to dramatic moments during acrobatic jumps. This instrument is made from animal hide stretched over a large wooden frame and is played using a pair of special wooden sticks.

Gong (Bo, 鑼)

A large metal gong that produces deep, resonant sounds is used to mark the lion's appearance, dramatic transitions, or climactic moments in the performance. The sound of the gong is also believed to represent the cosmic forces of heaven and earth, symbolizing spiritual balance according to Taoist philosophy.

Cymbals (Luo, 鈸)

Cymbals are played by striking two metal discs together, creating dynamic sounds that match the lion's swift movements and leaps. They are typically used to emphasize dramatic gestures such as the blinking of eyes, mouth movements, and expressive motions of the lion costume.

All these instruments are played in a coordinated arrangement known as "tao lu" (套路)—a choreographed musical sequence tailored to each segment of the performance.

This performance is typically carried out by a pair of dancers who work in perfect coordination within a single lion costume. The front dancer is responsible for animating the lion’s face—such as blinking the eyes and opening and closing the mouth—while the dancer at the back controls the balance and movement of the body and tail. The rear dancer also plays a critical role in stabilizing the front dancer, especially during high-risk acrobatic stunts performed on poles.

In the context of the High Pole Lion Dance in Malaysia, this is a performance that requires exceptional coordination, acrobatic skills, and a deep understanding of structured choreography. Each performance unfolds through several key phases, creating a dramatic and visually compelling journey of the lion as portrayed through dance. The phases include:

Performance Setup and Preparation

Before the performance begins, the stage or performance area is carefully prepared. Stainless steel poles of varying heights (between 1.5 and 3 meters) are firmly mounted on a stable platform. These poles are arranged in challenging formations such as zigzags, circles, or grids to enhance the visual impact of the acrobatic sequences.

In addition, musical instruments like the large drum (shigu), gong (bo), and cymbals (luo) are positioned near the performance area. These instruments are played live and guide the rhythm, emotion, and transitions throughout the performance. Musicians must rehearse with the dancers to ensure synchronized movement and music. Preparation also includes dancer warm-ups and thorough safety checks on costumes and technical equipment.

Simon Ang Leong Yew