Chinese Youth Society of Melbourne (CYSM) Lion Dance Team

About

Established in 1968, the Chinese Youth Society of Melbourne's Lion Dance Team is one of Melbourne's oldest and most community-rooted troupes. Unlike many martial-arts-based schools, CYSM's approach emphasises storytelling through performance — their lion dance is a vehicle for cultural narrative and education as much as entertainment. The team trains every Sunday at their Blackburn North clubhouse, is part of the larger CYSM organisation which also runs dragon boating, folk dance, soccer and more, and performs annually at Melbourne's Chinatown CNY Festival and the Bendigo Easter Fair.