Lion dancer King Ha

HK Magazine: When did you start to learn lion dancing? Do you like it by nature or did your dad force you?
King Ha: I started at a very early stage and I remember I was on TV performing when I was only four years old. And throughout the time I was in school, the first thing I did mostly was not go home to eat, but rush to venues to perform while holding a cup noodle in hand! No one ever forced me, I just like group activity a lot. In fact my dad is very liberal and lets me learn so many things. He even asked me to learn ballet! Said it could help me loosen up my tendons and joints. But I gave up in a few months because I thought it’s too feminine, and I couldn’t stand the tight outfit—I found it too embarrassing.

HK: Many youngsters might not want to follow in their father’s footsteps, especially if the family business is a traditional one. What makes you stay?
KH: I didn’t plan to take over until I was in Form 4. I wasn’t very good at studying and I liked lion dancing better. Unlike me, my little brother was quite chubby so the dance was hard for him. On the contrary, he liked studying better. My dad was offering to send us overseas for further education, so I just said I didn’t want to go. But at the same time I had to think about my future. With my education level, I thought I could only be a transport worker, and it’s a job that you can’t do forever. So I decided to stay and be good at what I am passionate about.

HK: As a young person, do you find it hard to run a lion dance group?
KH: Yes, definitely. When I officially took over six years ago I was only 22, and people in the group all learned from my dad. So when I had to do choreography sometimes it was harder to direct them, because they didn’t think they should follow my instruction—especially for the full-time lion dancer that we hired. But of course, when they saw the business was getting better, they trusted my leadership.

HK: How has the lion dancing tradition evolved over the generations?
KH: It has changed a lot. In my great grandma and grandpa’s generation, people saw it as a triad activity. A lot of people who were involved in the industry were triad members, and the masters would go over to another group’s practice space with their apprentices and issue challenges. And even in my dad’s generation, the people who came and wanted to learn were people who wanted to learn better skills for fighting. But now none of this happens. Lion dancing has become a commercial business now. If someone came and wanted to challenge me, I’d call the police.

HK: So who is learning lion dancing now?
KH: Actually we have a lot of school classes. Schools like to have this as an extra-curricular activity because it is a group activity that’s truly for everyone. Say, on a basketball team, if you aren’t very good, you’ll be backup only. But for lion dancing, there’ll always be a place for you. If you’re not athletic, you can be the percussionist; even if you’re not good with rhythm, you can still be the big Buddha that leads the lion to dance.

HK: The unemployment rate is still high among youngsters. Any advice for those who are still currently out of work?
KH: Just keep learning because someday your qualifications might be handy when you need them. A lot of my full-time staff also earn certificates in first-aid and fitness instruction, because you really can’t do lion dancing forever. As for me, I’m actually a listed Chinese medicine practitioner.