Thien Ai Lion Dance Team, a nonprofit organization, performs the art of lion dancing to bring good luck and prosperity to a variety of events, including weddings, birthdays and festivals.
The group aims to spread knowledge of the Southern style of Vietnamese lion dancing throughout the Baton Rouge community.
For University mechanical engineering sophomore Jimmy Thanh Do, however, the team is much more than an organization — it’s a family honoring a culture and a deeply rooted tradition.
Lion dancing originated in China but branched out into different styles as it spread into other Asian regions, Thanh Do said. The lion symbolizes power, wisdom and good fortune. Its purpose is to “chase away evil spirits and bring happiness, good luck and longevity to all.”
“To me, lion dancing is more than just for fun and show,” Thanh Do said. “It’s my culture and background. The bond my team and I share is like no other; we all contribute our energy and passion into what we do.”
It’s no surprise he and the team have become a family, considering Thanh Do dedicated nearly his entire childhood and continues to dedicate the majority of his time today to the art of lion dancing.
“I first joined the team when I was around eight years old and have been doing it since,” Thanh Do said. “Growing up and being part of the Buddhist Youth Group, I would always watch the older teens practice lion dancing. I knew I wanted to join when I was old enough.”
However, it’s definitely not always easy. Thanh Do explained the commitment to this art is time and energy consuming — especially as an engineering student — but worth it.
“Being a full time student and helping my parents run the family business is very time consuming, but I always manage to find time and energy to do what I love,” Thanh Do said. “Most practices are held every Sunday after the temple service is done. Aside from practicing, everyone on the team is encouraged to workout and be healthy on their own. I personally work out during weekdays at the UREC after school.”
In Thanh Do’s eyes, the weekly practices and workouts are a small price to pay for the rewards that performances bring not only to himself or the team but to the community.
“A special part of what we do is that we are a non-profit organization,” Thanh Do said. “All our performances are either free, as we donate our time and name for special events [cultural festivals, school events], or based on open donations. All of the money we receive is donated to the Buddhist Youth Group and Tam Bao Buddhist Temple. At the end of the day, I am proud to be the leader of this team.”
LSU mechanical engineering sophomore Jimmy Do, who captains the GDPT Thiện Ái Lion Dance Team, outside of Hodges Hall on Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2017.
