Booking
Book a lion dance for your event in the Washington, D.C. area
Send us your date, venue and occasion and we will reply with availability and a quote. Prefer to talk? Call 301-889-1428 during school hours or email team@hungfutkungfu.com.
Inquiry form
Request a quote
How much notice do you need?
As much as you can give. Lunar New Year dates fill first, so businesses that want a lion on the first day of the new year or the following weekend should reserve well ahead. Weddings are usually booked months in advance with the rest of the vendors. Grand openings and corporate events can often be arranged with a few weeks’ notice, and for cities near our Kensington school we can sometimes fit a short performance on shorter notice. If your date is close, contact us anyway.
What is included?
Every booking includes the lion or lions, trained performers, live drum, gong and cymbals, and the traditional choy cheng blessing with the lettuce when you want it. We bring what the ceremony needs. Hosts usually provide the red envelope, and may supply their own lettuce if they prefer. Additional lions, a laughing Buddha, a longer program or a Hung Fut kung fu demonstration are quoted separately.
Pricing
Pricing depends on the date, distance from Kensington, number of lions and length of the program, so we quote each event individually. Contact us for a quote; there is no obligation and we answer quickly. For a full breakdown of what moves the number up or down, see what a lion dance costs.
Not sure which kind of performance fits? Read about weddings, grand openings, Chinese New Year and corporate events.
How it works
How booking works
- 1
Tell us about the event
Date, start time, venue or city, the occasion and roughly how many guests. Use the form or call.
- 2
Get a quote
We confirm availability and send a quote, usually the same or next business day.
- 3
Reserve the date
Accept the quote and we hold your date and time, then send a short venue checklist.
- 4
The lion arrives
We set up early, perform, complete the choy cheng blessing and clear the space.
Quick facts
Booking facts at a glance
- Years operating
- Over 45 years, performing in the Washington, D.C. metro area since the 1970s
- Service area
- Washington, D.C., Maryland and Northern Virginia (the DMV), based in Kensington, MD
- Typical performance length
- Most performances run about 15 to 20 minutes; longer programs and multi-stop routes are arranged on request
- Team size options
- A single lion with live percussion, or two or more lions for larger events. Every lion is danced by two performers
- When we perform
- Mainly weekends. Most of the team works during the week, so Saturdays and Sundays book first. Weekday events can be arranged with more notice
- Advance notice required
- As early as possible. Lunar New Year is the highest-demand fortnight of the year and peak wedding Saturdays go next, so reserve those dates well ahead
- What is included
- Lion(s), trained performers, live drum, gong and cymbals, and the traditional choy cheng (lettuce blessing) ceremony
- Dragon dance
- Also available. The team performs the traditional Chinese dragon dance, carried on poles by a team of performers, for festivals, parades, Lunar New Year and large celebrations, alone or together with the lions
- Occasions served
- Lunar New Year celebrations, restaurant and business grand openings, weddings, corporate events, cultural festivals, parades, schools and private parties
- Lineage
- Shaolin Hung Fut Kung Fu School, founded in 1979 by 8th Generation Grandmaster Sifu Tai Yim. Southern Shaolin lineage
Planning
Practical questions
How much does a lion dance performance cost?
Pricing depends on the date, location, number of lions and length of the program, so we quote each event individually. Contact us with your date, venue and the occasion and we will send a quote, usually the same or next business day.
Lunar New Year dates, events far from Kensington, multi-lion programs and combined lion dance and kung fu demonstrations are priced differently from a standard single-lion blessing. Tell us everything you have in mind and we will recommend the option that fits your event and budget.
How much space does a lion dance need?
A single lion needs a clear area roughly the size of a small room, about 15 by 15 feet, plus a path to enter and move among guests. Two lions need proportionally more. Ceilings should clear the lion's head when the performer at the front lifts it overhead, so about ten feet is comfortable.
Restaurants, lobbies, ballrooms, sidewalks and plazas all work. We also perform in tighter rooms by adapting the choreography. Tell us about the venue when you book and we will plan the routine for it.
Can a lion dance be performed indoors?
Yes. Most of our performances are indoors, in restaurants, hotel ballrooms, offices, museums, schools and private homes. The drum, gong and cymbals are loud by design, so we adjust volume and placement to the room and coordinate with the venue.
For an indoor event, let us know about stairs, elevators, loading access and any noise policy. Outdoor performances need a level, dry surface; in extreme heat or rain we may shorten the routine or move under cover for the performers' safety.
What happens if it rains on the day of an outdoor performance?
Light rain rarely stops a performance, but heavy rain, lightning or a slippery surface can make the dance unsafe for the performers inside the lion, so we will ask to move under cover or indoors. We work with the host on a backup location when the event is booked.
Extreme heat is the other concern: the performers are working hard inside a heavy costume. On very hot days we may shorten the routine or add a short rest between sets.