There are two main styles of lion dance: northern and southern. These two styles differ in the looks of the lion and the basis of the dance.
Southern Lion Dance
Within southern lion dance, there are two styles: hok san (heshan) and fut san (foshan). Both of these styles have similar looking lions and performances are based on the study of a lion’s behavior, so there’s lots of blinking, scratching, and shaking.
We at Yong Han Lion Dance perform fut san lion dance. This style requires power and strength in moves, since it is based on kung fu. Hok san is more theatrical, with an emphasis on stacking (the person in the head stands on the person in the tail during a performance).
Northern Lion Dance
Northern lions usually have a gold head, with shaggy orange hair. They resemble Pekingnese dogs. Performances involve acrobatics like stunts on a platform or a large ball.
JHU Yong Han Lion Dance Troupe 