MGM Lion Dance Championship most int’l to date

Grant Bowie (fifth from right) handing a prize to a junior team

The MGM Lion Dance Championship – Macau International Invitational 2018 came to a conclusion yesterday with an award ceremony hosted at the MGM Theater in the gaming operator’s Cotai property.

The competitor teams at this year’s event came from across the greater China region, as well as Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar, Australia and the United States. According to organizers, this year’s event was the most international competition to date.

Yesterday’s award presentation ceremony was kicked off with a performance by a troupe of Macau Special Olympics’ Lion Dance performers that participated in an MGM-sponsored training program. The ceremony was well-attended by the public, which included friends and relatives of the competitors.

Shanghai Sanlin Xidi Loong Lion Team and Chinese Youth League Lion and Dragon Dance Australia took home the championship titles of the Male Lion Dance Championship and the Female Traditional Lion Dance Championship respectively.

Meanwhile, MGM Golden Lion Troupe B from Macau and Hong Kong Chinese Martial Arts Dragon and Lion Dance Association (Hong Kuen Lee Yun Fook) won in Macau’s first Junior Lion Dance Performance Competition for minors, beating out five other teams.

The two-day sporting and cultural event was co-
hosted by gaming operator MGM and the Wushu General Association of Macau.

This year, for the first time, a youth category was introduced with the aim of passing the traditional activity to future generations.

“The lion dance is truly a great asset that China has given to the world, as it combines culture, athleticism and history,” said Grant Bowie, chief executive officer and executive director of MGM China, during the event.

Bowie also remarked on the symbolic similarities with the casino operator’s lion mascot, saying that the company “is the lion determined to develop and enhance the future of lion dance in Macau.”