19th Ngee Ann City National Lion Dance Championship 2013 Results

Just a follow up on my previous post, I did go on to watch the final round of the Ngee Ann City National Lion Dance Championship. Thursday was the finals for the Traditional Category, which was won by Tian Eng Dragon and Lion Dance Centre. They were actually tied in scores with the last team to perform, Taman Jurong Community Club Juboon Dragon and Lion Dance Troupe, however they managed to nick away the Traditional title by virtue of having higher minor scores. One bad point about Thursday was that the event finished closed to midnight. Having 8 teams competing seemed a bit too much for one night, and that did not have any fringe performance in between the competition.

The blue ribbon event was of course the Freestyle Category. 8 teams competed on Friday and Saturday night for a chance to be crowned the champion, especially with 3 times defending champions, Long Tian Pugilistic Association, painfully missing out on a spot in the final with their mistakes in the semi-final. Wei Yong Athletic Association would be the firm favourite going into the final round, as they had lost out to Long Tian in the past 3 years. However, minor mistakes during their routine caused them heavily as they would go on to finish in 2^nd place for the 4^th year running. The highest scoring team from the semi-final, Kuan San Tang Dragon and Lion Dance Troupe, competing last on Saturday, went on to put up a majestic performance that thrilled and captured the audience. Their final score of 9.47 ensured that they are the National Champions in 2013.

Photo courtesy of Long-Shi.com

Creativity was also one of the highlights in this competition. With a set that depicts ancient Japanese and Bruce Lee, Wei Yong Athletic Association won the award for the Best Style, while Nanyang Huang Shi Chung Huay Dragon & Lion Dance Troupe produced a gigantic watermill set and won the Best Props award.

Photo courtesy of Long-Shi.com

Over the course of 6 days, 20 teams vied for the honour to be crowned the champions of the 2013 edition. At the end of the grueling 6 days of competitions, champions were crowned, while the rest will go on to improve on their skills to come back next year. It was definitely a showcase of the competitiveness in promotion of the Chinese Culture.

This weekend will also see the return of F1 for the 6th year, and this will also be my 3rd time attending the event. With each attendance in different settings and environment, I do hope that I will be able to contain my own excitement to write down some relevant thought on the F1 race itself!