We’re commemorating the Year of the Dragon by having a Lunar New Year Celebration every weekend in February with the return of some of our favorite vendors! Wushu Shaolin Entertainment is bringing back several of last year’s crowd-pleasing performances including the lion dance, dragon dance, martial arts demonstrations, folk dances, and more. Wushu Shaolin Entertainment has performed around the world and is considered a leader in the Chinese cultural performance industry. We were able to ask Sal Redner, Shifu (leader) of Wushu Shaolin Entertainment, a few questions regarding Lunar New Year. Check it out below and then make sure to see one of their performances live at the Garden. They will be part of the 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. performances every Saturday and Sunday in February.
Q: What does Lunar New Year mean to you and your company?
Sal: The Lunar New Year means everything, it is the largest holiday celebrated in Asia including China, Vietnam, Japan and many parts of Asia. During the Lunar New Year, everyone celebrates together and pays homage to the importance of another year, refreshed and reinvigorated to achieve even greater success. Wushu Shaolin Entertainment is at the forefront of the Lunar New Year celebration. Our organization has grown over the last decade to become the leading Lunar New Year entertainment company in Los Angeles. We have become a big part of helping so many schools, government entities and private businesses celebrate the Lunar New Year and share the rich diversity that makes Los Angeles so great. Our shows provide audiences with entertaining and educational displays of dance, martial arts and unique cultural artistry. The Lunar New Year means everything to us and we look forward to helping everyone celebrate each year.
Q: Why did you choose to return for the Garden’s Lunar New Year Celebration this year?
Sal: South Coast Botanic Garden has always been a special place for me personally. As a young child, my first field trip ever taken was to the Garden. I was only 7 years old at the time, and I still remember seeing peacocks, insects and plant life, mesmerized by the rich variety of things to see and learn about. There is no question that South Coast Botanic Garden situated in the Palos Verdes Peninsula is a bridge not only to diverse plants and animals but human culture as well. Having a space for the community to join together and celebrate rich culture is what makes the Garden so special to me and everyone in the South Bay. With so much development of modern commercial real estate, it brings great joy to know that a place like the Garden exists, serving as a rare and invaluable part of what makes the South Bay great. As long as we can continue having these events, it brings our troupe great pride to participate and help inspire, educate and share our artistry with the public.
Q: What does Wushu Shaolin have planned for this year’s performance?
Sal: This year will be a very exciting year, with many awe-inspiring performances. The troupe has been preparing all year for this event and is very excited to bring a beautiful presentation for all to see. We have a myriad of new lions with beautiful designs and traditional Asian artistry. These lions are sure to captivate any audience with live music featuring the Chinese drum, cymbals and gong. The lion dance is a significant part of the Lunar New Year, providing guests with the opportunity to smile, rejoice, laugh and take photos with our costumes. Our acts will include audience participation segments giving children and adults the opportunity to come on stage and participate in some of our specialized audience participation segments. In addition to these activities, our dragon dance performance will be the highlight of the event. Each day our troupe will be performing a stunning dragon dance presentation with live percussion music. The dragon will be a sheer spectacle waiving and twisting in unique patterns as it weaves in and out of the crowd. Being the Year of the Dragon, this performance is one that you must be sure not to miss. On top of the dragon and lion dance performances our troupe has prepared many other acts including break dancing, acrobatics and Wushu martial arts displays. All of these performances will be sure to keep everyone excited and entertained.
Q: What can guests expect?
Sal: Guests can expect to see a show unlike any other that exists in Los Angeles. Our team includes martial artists, female dancers, acrobatics, Wushu Shaolin Kung Fu Martial Arts and unique Chinese cultural costumes including a stunning Chinese Dragon Costume. We are most excited this year to bring a stunning show to all in attendance.
There you have it! This is a can’t miss performance. If you don’t have your tickets yet, click here.
