At the heart of Chinese culture within Northeastern’s campus, an ancient practice comes alive with the rhythmic tune of chants and the colorful spectacle of a dragon puppet. 

The Northeastern University Dragon & Lion Dance Troupe is a student-run organization that strives to spread Chinese culture through captivating performances of traditional Chinese dragon and lion dance.

Established in 2015, the club has since grown both in size and funding. Through the Dragon & Lion Dance Troupe, students are offered a distinctive opportunity to showcase their talents across the greater Boston area. From participating in cultural shows on campus to performing at various colleges and even at the 2023 Asian American Festival at Boston Common, the troupe brings the spirit of Chinese tradition to diverse audiences. 

The opportunities the club provides extend beyond performances, offering a variety of unique merits. 

“Through this club, I found a good way to network with upperclassmen, … stay active and keep in touch with my culture,” said Zoe Yu, a first-year bioengineering major and troupe member.

Likewise, third-year chemistry and data science combined major and head choreographer Vanessa Liang joined the club after wanting to better connect with her culture, despite never having done any form of dragon or lion dance before.

“The amount of engagement that I’ve been able to get with the Chinese arts community in Boston, as well as just the greater Chinese American community within Northeastern, has been so valuable,” Liang said. “Having people that have a similar shared experience of that weird mixed identity has also been equally as reassuring.” 

While the Dragon & Lion Dance Troupe bridges meaningful connections between international and Chinese American students within Northeastern, Liang hopes that it will be able to extend these relations beyond the campus.

Liang also highlighted the passion and devotion that she sees in each member’s heart.

“This club is a group of dedicated, driven, incredible people that have the creativity and the passion to celebrate their Chinese culture through the art form of dragon and lion dance,” she said. “They make it their duty to show up to anything — any performance, any practice or any equipment fix session.”

Liang also noted the club’s importance for anyone open to experiencing new cultures.

“To us, the way that most people learn about cultures are things that are readily accessible, such as our food, music, anything of that sort,” Liang said. “To be able to have that on campus, open to anyone performing at various campus events, is just so important for people to learn more about different cultures.”

Two members of the Dragon & Lion Dance Troupe have fun with their instruments at practice March 29. While practicing the troupe’s music, members joked around and enjoyed the vibrations of banging their cymbals together.