Our team at the Montreal Chan Lion Dance Club recently performed a Montreal lion dance for a wedding at Roma Receptions where we decided to go "off-script" to elevate the energy of the room.

One thing I’ve learned over the last 20+ years is that a great show isn't just about the floor routine, or simply walking around the venue blinking the lion's eyes at guests. It’s about total room engagement. During this specific set, the energy was high, and we noticed a photo booth tucked away in the corner of the reception hall.

Instead of staying centered on the floor, we led a spontaneous "parade" across the hall and crashed the photo booth for some selfies with the couple and their guests. It turned a standard performance into a fully immersive experience that bridged every corner of the venue.

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Performance Tip:

As performers, it’s easy to get stuck in a rigid routine, but the ability to adapt and improvise is what separates a basic "stage act" from a true party catalyst. By moving dynamically and engaging the crowd where they already are, you ensure no one feels like just a spectator. The bridal party told us afterward that these "booth-crashing" shots were the most unique and fun highlights of their entire wedding album.

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As lion dancers, I'd love to hear your stories.

How have you improvised during a show to make it more unique and engaging?

My Montreal Chan Lion Dance Club performed at the Saint-Patrick's day this year, and boy, was it cold outside!

This was one of my most proud freestyle moments. Performing on the snow/ice was challenging, but fun!

Just wondering if you guys share the same experiences, but when I get into the lion head, it's like flipping a switch, where I get "into the zone", kind of like a flow state, where my body just takes over and I end up doing some crazy shit I never would have thought of doing during training and practice.

I'm planning on buying my own lion and I am obsessed with this style, specifically the shape of its face. It is really popular in Malaysia and only on Futsan from what I've seen but I'm not sure if it has a certain name or title like Lofuchi style lions.

I recently learned that the shop I planned on buying from, China-Cart, is not the greatest for buying lions so I'm trying to at least know what this style is to make searching easier!

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Montreal is such a beautifully multicultural melting pot that most of the weddings we handle are fusion/mixed-race: Chinese-Canadian, Vietnamese-Western, or other multicultural mixes. The #1 fear I hear from our wedding clients is that their timeline will feel like two separate weddings happening in the same room. Our clients' concerns are often about making one side of the family feel left out, where a wedding can seem 'too Chinese' or 'too Western'.

I’ve spent over 20 years as part of the Montreal Chan Lion Dance Club, working alongside the city’s top wedding and event planners. For those who haven’t seen it, the Chinese lion dance is a high-energy traditional performance featuring colorful, athletic lion costumes moved by two performers to the beat of live drums and cymbals.

It is one of the most common cultural requests for Chinese lion dance for weddings in Montreal, as well as Vietnamese weddings and other Asian couples. We often find that for mixed-race couples, the non-Asian side of the family has never experienced a Montreal lion dance performance before. This makes it more than just a show. It’s the moment where the "wedding" and the "heritage" finally click together for every guest.

Our signature kiss finale: A perfect way to blend cultures and create an unforgettable photo op. For this mixed-race couple, the Chinese lion dance served as the ultimate bridge between their two families during their Montreal lion dance performance at their wedding reception.

Throughout my years doing lion dance for weddings in Montreal and throughout Quebec, these are the common logistical solutions wedding planners, couples and I have come up with to ensure a seamless fusion of cultures:

1. The "Costume Change" Transition
One of the most effective ways to blend cultures is to use the performance as a "bridge." In many Chinese-Canadian weddings, it is traditional for the bride to change from her white wedding dress into a Cheongsam. This red traditional outfit symbolizes joy, luck, and the bride's transition into her new family identity.

We often coordinate with couples to start the Chinese lion dance performance while they are in Western attire, then use the high-energy "intermission" of the drums to mask a quick transition. When the couple reappears in their traditional outfits to finish the dance, it serves as a powerful visual reveal that honors both heritages in one sequence.

Refer to the video for example:
Montreal Chinese Lion Dance Wedding Video

(Note: At the 0:07-0:15 second mark, you can see how the couple uses the dance floor energy to honor both styles. It turns a "wardrobe change" into a highlight of the show.)

2. The 15-Minute "Pattern Interrupt"
To bridge the gap between the formal dinner and the party. Once the guests have settled down, the live drums act as a "universal reset". It wakes up the elders and gets the younger crowd hyped for the dance floor, either as part of the bridal party introductions, or as a surprise after the couple has finished their first dance.

3. The "Choy Cheng" Blessing as an Icebreaker
Have your MC explain the "Choy Cheng" (lettuce plucking) ritual to your non-Asian guests. When the lion "showers" the couple with greens, it’s a blessing of prosperity that everyone, regardless of background, can cheer for.

A vibrant Montreal lion dance performance we did featuring the traditional lettuce-plucking ritual. This is often the highlight for Asian weddings, as it provides a visual blessing of prosperity that every guest enjoys.

4. Morning vs. Evening Logistics
For the morning (like the Vietnamese tea ceremony), keep it intimate at the family home to clear bad energy and invite fortune and prosperity to the home. Save the full spectacle for the banquet grand entrance to ensure both sides of the aisle can experience the performance.

A beautiful moment from a Chinese lion dance performance in Montreal we did at a Vietnamese tea ceremony.

5. Transition to the Dance Floor
The lions are the ultimate "Crowd Magnet" for a wedding reception. We use the performance to physically draw guests away from their tables and toward the dance floor for a closer look and a chance to pet the lions for good luck. This movement serves as a deliberate transition from "low energy" dining to "high energy" partying. Once the Montreal lion dance has hyped up the crowd, we coordinate with the DJ and MC to immediately drop the first dance track as the lions make their exit. This ensures the dance floor is already packed and the energy stays at a peak for the rest of the night.

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I’m happy to answer any questions about the logistics of cultural performances or how to manage your timeline!

I’m curious to hear what the lion dance style landscape looks like in your local regions right now, specifically regarding what other troupes are practicing versus what your clients are actually requesting.

I'm a leader of the Montreal Chan Lion Dance Club, and my father founded our troupe decades ago, so our lineage is deeply rooted in the old-school Montreal Chinatown era. Because of that, our foundation is pure Fut San. We still prioritize the heavy martial arts horse stances, aggressive floor sweeps, and raw, grounded power, but we also incorporate jumps, stacks, and more fluid head movements and jumpier footwork. Kinda like a hybrid.

However, over the last few years, the Canadian lion dance scene has definitely started to shift. We are seeing a trend in clubs pivoting almost entirely to modern Hok San choreography.

From a club's perspective, it’s an interesting divide. We still muscle through our shows with our heavy Fut San foundation (which the traditional community elders love), but corporate event planners, festivals and weddings seem to be increasingly drawn to our Hok San-based choreography.

When we show our clients our selection of lion heads, 100% of them always prefer our Hok San lion heads rather than our Fut San heads. Compared to fut san heads, which look fierce and angry, hok san heads are cuter, happier, and more approachable, and are actually more appropriate for events like weddings.

When we do more traditional gigs like CNY, where majority of the guests are elders (many of whom are fellow kung-fu practionner and lion dancers), we'll bust out the fut san heads.

What does the scene look like in your area?

• Are the established clubs in your city mostly Fut San or Hok San? Or hybrid?
• Are you seeing a similar shift toward acrobatics, or is there still a strong demand for traditional groundwork?
• Do your clients even know the difference, or do they just want a good show?

Would love to hear how this is playing out in other cities and countries!