Excited to announce that the amazing New York Chinese Freemasons Athletic Club (NYCFAC) will be performing a lion dance at the festival. The group is a regular performer in New York City Chinatown and the tristate area.

Here is video profiling some of the performers from NYCFAC.

Lion dancing dates back to the Tang Dynasty in China (600-900 AD). It was meant to ward off evil spirits, and welcome good ones. Lion dancing is very important to Chinese culture, and is often used to celebrate during Chinese New Year.

The performers at NYCFAC hold onto this tradition, and carry it on in America. Typically, two performers are in a single lion. The martial art of Kung Fu is the foundation of Lion dancing. Performers must be in excellent physical shape to create movements with the Lion, as the head can weight between 15 and 30 pounds.

Check out photos from NYCFAC’s performances: