BCA lion troupe's Phoebe Skinner and Clint Miller open up about the Easter festival dance

Phoebe Skinner, BCA dancer

"I used to be terrified of the lions. I used to run away.

My first actual interaction with them was at a Harvest Moon Festival when I was nine, when I saw there were girls underneath [the costumes]. That was the first time I ever touched a lion and afterwards I was really fascinated, especially because there were girls doing it.

I got Mum to sign me up and after I went to a training I knew I needed to be a part of it.

Probably three or four years after I started I found out that I did actually have a Chinese ancestral background.

There were whispers going around and we got this whole family tree out and found out we were related to so many people in the association. Before that I had no idea.

It definitely has changed the way I feel under the lion and going into temples and being in the Elders Room in the old Bendigo Chinese Association building [where the dancers start to parade from].

It's only since last year that girls have been allowed to be under the lion in the Elders Room and I was the first one. It was just awesome.

This year I was starting with my best friend, April, as well. Having another girl next to me was just the best feeling. My little sister and my dad were under Guan Gong and my mum had a go as well.

Dad was in the lion team for a little bit, then he went to the dragon side of stuff.

The dragons are the ones with the poles and lots of people, while the lions are just two people, head and tail.

We are all feeling quite tired after the long weekend."

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Clint Miller, BCA troupe leader

"It takes years of work to be a Lion dancer. A lot of us are introverts until we jump under a lion and then we come out.

I've been doing it for 17 years and been leader for 12 of them.

I used to lead the performing dragon many years ago but now I just focus on lions. The distinction between them is very important but it's difficult for people [who aren't involved] to grasp.

About 80 per cent of us in the troupe are non-Chinese.

It is pretty intense. You've got to love it. It's that discipline.

We train every week all year round for three hours minimum on a Monday night.

It's all martial arts based. One of the fundamentals is horse stance.

It commonly takes about two years to learn enough to go with the dance because it's not just the moves and it's not guided and it's not scripted. It changes all the time and there's all the culture, the symbology, the rules a lion must abide by.

It's a performance art but really it's a culture before anything, and it's a wonderful culture to keep alive.

If you've got heart and you've got all the right qualities and skills to be there, it's very honourable, very awe-inspiring and very spiritual as well.

We perform at Easter, obviously, and on Chinese New Year, Harvest Moon, or mid-autumn festival. And through the year we're hired for community events, weddings, parties, council launches - a lot of stuff.

There's a real family feel to it and a real respect - a brotherhood and sisterhood that's synonymous to us paying respect to Guan Gong as well. He symbolises brotherhood.

It gives you these opportunities to grow, not just in lion dancing but as citizens and ambassadors for Bendigo and the community. I love the growth. That's what keeps me going - being part of the growth of the team and how well they're doing."

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