And briefly...
Flowers on the Water Ceremony™ - takes place at 12 noon. This unique and moving ceremony is performed only on special occasions. Belonging to Dragons Abreast means that, inevitably, some of our members have a shorter life-span than we want for them. They leave special memories and are models of courage, inspiration and hope. They graduate with honours to our Angels Abreast team and we remember them and acknowledge not only our loss but also that of their families. We also rejoice that we have been privileged to walk with them, if only for a short time. In this rejoicing and remembering we spread pink petals and some blue ones (to represent the men with breast cancer) onto the water. Timing will become available when the race draw is released in the week prior to the Festival.
Cultural Displays – The Lion Dance, which will take place at approximately 12.30 - is an extension of the Chinese martial arts and traditionally always performed by martial artists, embraces the beauty, art, culture, traditions, and history of China. Gestures and movements that closely mimic the emotion of the mystical animal tell the story behind the performance. Emotions and expressions portrayed by the dancers include excitement, caution, curiosity, playfulness, anger, sleepiness, confusion, happiness, and sadness, to name a few. In addition to this, acrobatic skills are sometimes displayed by the dancers to add excitement to the performance. Practitioners must undergo rigorous training to develop these skills and to learn the many movements used to make the lion appear alive and strong. They must also learn to play the instruments used to accompany the lion and to direct its movements during the dance.