About
Mission Statement
Choy Wun Dance Troupe, Inc. was founded in 2012 under the principles and mission of preserving and spreading Chinese cultural awareness through performance arts, particularly Lion Dancing. During the early years, we were comprised of mainly college graduates of James Madison University seeking to satisfy an inner hobby of lion dancing and bringing something different to Fairfax County. Today, we are a team of individuals with different walks of life who came together to practice lion dance as an organized sport, spreading the art through the DMV area. Over the years, we have grown into an organization that embodies community involvement, cultural education, and the strive for excellence. Our name Choy Wun stands for Reaching for the Cloud. And the spirit of the name is to remind each and every member to reach for the skies each and every day, whether it’s lion dancing or in their personal life or career.
501c3 Status
We are a 501c3, non-profit organization, headquartered in Fairfax County. Every year, Choy Wun designates a number of pro bono public performances in the DC, MD, and VA area with the goal of increasing the awareness of Chinese culture and traditions through dance.
Classes, Practices, and Performances:
Choy Wun devotes a number of hours each week towards lion dance and martial arts basic and specialized training. We have partnered up with Chua Martial Arts to bring traditional fist and weapon forms into our training regime in addition to lion dance. To learn more about our practice days and times, please email us at choywundance@gmail.com. Choy Wun performs throughout the year. To get the most updated schedule of our public performances, please follow us on Instagram @choywunlions.
Contribute to Choy Wun
With the generous support from our sponsors and donors, Choy Wun can continue furthering the mission of preserving the art of lion dance for future generations to come. To learn more about our sponsorships and donations, please email us at choywundance@gmail.com. Donations are tax-deductible.
What is Lion Dance
The Lion Dance is a form of traditional dance in Chinese culture and other Asian countries in which performers mimic a lion’s movements in a lion costume to bring good luck and fortune. The lion dance is usually performed during Lunar New Year and other Chinese traditional, cultural and religious festivals. In modern day, it is also performed at important occasions such as business opening events, special celebrations or wedding ceremonies, or may be used to honor special guests by the Chinese communities. The color red is often used which symbolizes happiness and prosperity. Money would be placed inside red packets (called "Hong Bao" or "Lai See") and fed to the lions as a sign of blessing and great luck to ring in the new year. See the different events where Choy Wun Lions have performed at!
Interested in booking us for your next event? Send us a request!