Crouching Lion, Hidden Dragon

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Laina Landseadel, Olivia Macdonald, Abi Macdonald

In 2001, Ang Lee’s visually stunning, groundbreaking film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon introduced the world to the magic and wonder of the 19th century Qing Dynasty in China. The international blockbuster won three Academy Awards and left a lasting impact on cinematography and storytelling. Few are aware that the title of the film is taken from the literal translation of a Chinese idiom, which describes a place or situation that is full of unnoticed masters. The powerful idiom reminds us that mastery and excellence often surrounds us but goes unnoticed. 

We have a trio of rarely noticed masters walking the halls of Miller School. Over the past five years, Abi Macdonald, Laina Landseadel, and Olivia Macdonald have committed themselves to mastering Kung Fu and the art of Lion and Dragon dances. During the Chinese New Year, the trio performed in ten ceremonies at a senior center and around three counties for elementary, middle, and high school students.

There is much to appreciate in the highly dynamic art of Lion dancing. Laina explained: “Lion dancing is particularly expressive–you can do pretty much whatever you want. Yes, there is some structure to what tricks we have to do at certain points of the show when the drumming changes, but even then we are the ones who decide together what tricks and what choreography we want.” Like other improvisational artforms, in Lion Dancing the subtle details of the dance are what make a performance memorable. Laina continued: “It can be the small things like wiggling the ears or an extra little extra jump to add playfulness. Every show is different, and in each show the personality of the lion is unique.” Bringing the lion to life effortlessly on stage requires a mastery that takes years to develop. 

Laina, Abi, and Olivia have been building their skills in Kung Fu and dancing for five years. The literal translation of Kung Fu, or Gongfu, is “a high level of skill achieved through time and effort.” Watching the trio perform, it is clear that they have worked and trained many hours to achieve a level of skill that makes incredibly difficult performances look effortless. 

In addition to skills, dancing, in particular the Dragon dance, requires a high level of physical fitness and endurance. Laina examplaned: “For the Dragon dance, there’s a lot of running around and jumping while maintaining the flowy, serpentine look of the Dragon. You need to be able to run around, jump up and over things, and maneuver around wherever you’re performing while carrying the big Dragon and making it look effortless. Plus there’s the tricks involving cartwheels, rolls, lifts, pyramids, and more while holding a heavy lion head. It takes a lot of work, so I can’t imagine doing it without my years of Kung Fu training behind me.” 

While the athleticism and joy of performing is rewarding in its own right, connecting with audiences is what makes Lion and Dragon dancing unforgettable for the trio. “The most exciting part of a dance is when we’re performing as a Dragon; it’s fun because the audience is laughing and having a good time and we are going so close to them that we even brush them with the edge of the Dragon.” It is this connection with the audience that makes the dance come to life. 

Like many sports and performing arts, Lion and Dragon dancing as well as Kung Fu have taught Abi, Laina, and Olivia lessons that apply to their daily lives. Laina explained: “Kung Fu and dancing has taught me to work hard and to never stop even when I’m hurting or am messing up. To get this far in Kung Fu, I’ve had to work harder than I thought possible.” 

At MSA, we believe excellence can take many forms and the first step toward excellence is discovering your passion. Abi, Laina, and Olivia have discovered a passion and are masters of a beautiful art form, and they inspire and entertain audiences around the region. Their mastery and excellence provide a good example of the Chinese idiom, “crouching tiger, hidden dragon” and remind us to take notice of the many forms of excellence around us on the Hill.