Lunar New Year: So you think you can dragon dance

Being a dragon is a young person’s game.

Just ask Danny Quon.

“The last time I did a lion dance was probably, oh my god, a good 10 years ago,” says the 51 year old.

“Now I have my students do the lion dance for me. And that’s how it should be. I learned my craft from the people who taught me, and it’s time for me just to pass it down to the younger generation. And I’m not as agile anymore.”

Vancouverites and visitors will have a chance to see Quon’s students in action at this year’s Lunar New Year parade. After taking a pandemic breather in 2021 and going virtual in 2022, the parade will return in all its noisy, colourful glory at 11 a.m. on Jan. 22, when it begins its journey through Chinatown to mark the beginning of the Year of the Rabbit.