District of Columbia · About 25 to 40 minutes from Kensington, depending on traffic and the part of the District
Chinese Lion Dance in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C. is where this team has performed longest and most often. We have danced in the District since the 1970s, from Chinatown's Friendship Archway at 7th and H Streets NW to embassy receptions, hotel ballrooms and, most recently, the personal residence of the Vice President of the United States. If you are planning an event anywhere in the District, from Penn Quarter and Capitol Hill to Georgetown, the Wharf, Navy Yard or Upper Northwest, we can bring a traditional Southern lion dance to it.
Events and venues we perform for in Washington, D.C.
The District's event calendar is unusually dense. We regularly perform for restaurant openings and anniversaries in and around Chinatown and Gallery Place, for Lunar New Year celebrations hosted by museums, schools and community organizations, for association and trade-group receptions in downtown hotels, and for weddings at venues from historic mansions in Dupont Circle and Kalorama to rooftop spaces overlooking the Potomac. Federal offices, universities such as Georgetown, George Washington and Howard, and the many embassies along Massachusetts Avenue also book cultural performances for staff events and national-day receptions.
Neighborhoods and districts we know well: Chinatown and Gallery Place, Penn Quarter, Capitol Hill, Georgetown, Dupont Circle, The Wharf, Navy Yard, Upper Northwest.
Lion dance and Washington, D.C.’s community
D.C.'s Chinatown has hosted a public Lunar New Year parade for generations, and the lion dance is at its heart. Even as the neighborhood has changed, the tradition of lions visiting businesses to bring good fortune has continued, and many District restaurants and shops now expect a lion at their opening or their first day of the new year. Our lions are part of that living tradition. We perform the Southern style, with the drum, gong and cymbals played live, and we close with the choy cheng blessing when the host wants one.
Getting the lion to Washington, D.C.
Our school sits in Kensington, Maryland, just north of the District line, so most D.C. addresses are a straightforward drive down Connecticut Avenue, 16th Street or Beach Drive through Rock Creek Park. Downtown, Capitol Hill and Southwest venues take longer at rush hour, so we build in extra travel time and ask hosts about loading and parking in advance. Performances on public sidewalks or in parks may require a permit from the District; the host is responsible for permits, and we are happy to describe our footprint and sound levels for the application.
Occasions we serve in Washington, D.C.
- Wedding Lion Dance: Traditional Chinese lion dance for weddings in Washington, DC, Maryland and Northern Virginia. Blessing the couple with choy cheng. Contact for a quote.
- Grand Opening Lion Dance: Lion dance blessing for restaurant and business grand openings across the DMV. Choy cheng lettuce ceremony and live drums. Based in Kensington, MD.
- Chinese New Year Lion Dance: Book a traditional Lunar New Year lion dance for your restaurant, business, school or celebration in Washington, DC, Maryland or Virginia.
- Corporate Event Lion Dance: Chinese lion dance for corporate events, office Lunar New Year celebrations and client receptions in Washington, DC, Maryland and Northern Virginia.
- Dragon Dance: Traditional Chinese dragon dance for Lunar New Year, festivals, parades and large events in Washington, DC, Maryland and Virginia. Contact for a quote.
Every performance, wherever it is, comes from the same team: the lion dancers of the Shaolin Hung Fut Kung Fu School in Kensington, Maryland, performing across the Washington area since the 1970s with live drum, gong and cymbals and the traditional choy cheng blessing.
Lunar New Year in a shopping mall atrium 
Instructors beneath the school's four lion heads 
Traditional weapons at a school demonstration
Do you perform in D.C.'s Chinatown for Lunar New Year?
Yes. Chinatown and the surrounding Gallery Place and Penn Quarter blocks are the busiest part of our Lunar New Year season, and businesses there should reserve their date as early as possible because that stretch of the calendar fills first. We perform for individual restaurants, shops and offices, and for private celebrations held elsewhere in the District during the same weeks.
Can a lion dance be performed inside a D.C. hotel ballroom or restaurant?
Yes. Most of our District performances happen indoors, in hotel ballrooms, restaurant dining rooms, office lobbies and museum galleries. We need a clear performance area, a walkway for the lions to enter and greet guests, and a spot for the drum. We keep the percussion at a level appropriate for the room and coordinate with the venue's event staff on timing.
Nearby
Nearby areas we also serve
Book the team
Book a lion dance in Washington, D.C.
Tell us your date, venue and occasion in Washington, D.C. and we will reply with availability and a quote.