In fact, one of the north's most senior legal figures, area procurator fiscal for the Highlands and Islands Andrew Laing, has an appointment with the lion to bring it to life.

Laing will be painting the eye of the beast, the central figure of the Chinese Lion Dance, in accordance with ancient ceremony. According to tradition, the Lion's eye must be completed to wake it from its slumbers.

The lion will demonstrate just how lively it is immediately afterwards by performing on Falcon Square as part of Highlands and Islands Equality Forum's Highlands R Us event celebrating the diversity of modern Highland culture.

The lion is one of two which belongs to the Scottish Highlands and Islands and Moray Chinese Association (SCHIMCA).

A second lion will be brought to life by Chinese consul general for Scotland Tan Xiutian ahead of Inverness Highland Games later this month when the lions will also be performing.

The lions will allow SHIMCA members to perform the lion dance themselves instead of calling in experienced performers from outside the area as they have in the past.

"None of us are professionals, we're just learning, but this is something that will stay in the Highlands," SHIMCA founder Monica Lee-Macpherson explained.

"We are all trying to learn all the different roles — the lion head, the body, the cymbals, the drums — so we can all take them in turns. It's very tiring. People might think that normal dancing is tiring — but this is not normal dancing!"

Fortunately for SHIMCA, it might receive some fresh recruits through the regular workshops it plans to hold at Raigmore community centre from Monday 28th July.

The lion dance will take place at 2pm on Falcon Square, but is just one part of the Highlands R Us day, which runs from 11am to 4pm.

The first Highlands R Us day took place as a one off event last year, but received such a positive response that Highlands and Islands Equality Forum (HIEF) decided to bring it back this year.

Opened and closed with piping from Rachel MacDonald, other events on the main stage will include African drumming, Highland, Russian and Egyptian dancing, performances by local funk band Xylophone Race and members of Tain Academy traditional group Gizzen Briggs and a presentation from Ross-shire based theatre group Arts in Motion.

There will also be a range of activities for all ages to encourage public participation.

A warrior from the Shaolin Temple — the famed home of kung fu.

The Ramada Jarvis Hotel on Church Street will also host a series of workshops and seminars running parallel with the public events on Falcon Square, including drumming, Egyptian and Russian dance, theatre skills with Arts in Motion and a lecture on diversity in rural Scotland from Helen Miller of the Equality and Human Rights Commission Scotland.

"This event is not about giving out leaflets, but is more about becoming caught up in the celebration of our diversity," organiser Morag Redwood commented.

HIEF plans to publish details of its series of autumn roadshows in the near future.

* There will be more than one Chinese lion on the prowl in Inverness over the next few days.

Tuesday is also the final day of the Chinese State Circus's final visit to Inverness.

"It is this troupe's first ever visit to the UK in this the year of the Beijing Olympics and a new show with an Olympic flavour has been devised encompassing the best in Chinese acrobatics, warriors from the Shaolin Temple, characters from The Peking Opera and the Monkey King," Asia Sawicka of promoters The European Entertainment Corporation said.

The two-hour production is making its first European tour with a cast which includes the martial artists from the Shaolin Temple, the birthplace of kung fu, and The Tai An Acrobatic Troupe from the foot of Mount Tai — one of China's sacred mountains and home to some of the country's greatest poets, artists, scholars and warriors for over 2000 years.

Joining them will be gymnasts who may find themselves a part of future Olympic Games.

The show will feature back-flipping acrobats spiralling through rotating hoops and a dizzying display of plate spinning, contortionists, Chinese pole balancing and a fully costumed performance of the Lion Dance.

The Chinese State Circus can be seen at The Canal Pitches, Bught Park, until Tuesday.

c.macleod@inverness-courier.co.uk

Printer friendly version

Email this article to a friend