Texas Dragon/Lion Dance Team
What is the Texas Dragon/Lion Dance Team?
The Texas Dragon/Lion Dance Team (TDDT) is an Austin, Texas-based dragon and lion dance group operating and performing continuously since 2000.
Our goal is to share and in many cases introduce the art of dragon and lion dancing to the community.
We are one of the few teams that performs year-round for a wide variety of events. Our prime performance season is during the Lunar New Year (early February or March) where we perform the gauntlet of back-to-back performances for businesses and organizations all over Central Texas.
Common Questions and Answers
How do I request a performance?
To request a performance or learn more about our performances, please visit our Performance Request page.
We accept a wide variety of public and private performance requests including (but not limited to) corporate events, cultural festivals, elementary schools, middle schools, store openings, student organization events, and weddings. The number of performers and/or lions present at the event will vary based on team availability.
Due to the popularity of our performances (particularly during the Lunar New Year season), please be sure to request your event as far in advance as possible. Due to the number of requests we receive and circumstances affecting team availability, we CANNOT GUARANTEE availability until you receive a confirmation from a team Contact Manager.
Are you affiliated with The University of Texas at Austin?
The Texas Dragon/Lion Dance Team is a registered student organization at The University of Texas at Austin. We are not sponsored by the university, nor do our views represent the views of the university or its officers.
Our team was founded by UT Austin students and a large portion of its membership are current and former UT Austin students.
Our status as an official student organization may change from year to year based on university rules and the number of qualifying members on our team. Regardless, have always been and continue to be an Austin, Texas community-based group. We continue to perform for UT organizations and functions and, as always, 100% of all of our received funds still go into team management.
We are not now (nor have we ever been) officially sponsored by The University of Texas at Austin.
Please refer to us as "The Texas Dragon/Lion Dance Team" or "TDDT," and not "the UT team."
What is the difference between a dragon and a lion?
Lion
Two performers (typically).
Eats lettuce, oranges, etc.
Displays martial and acrobatic skills.
Many varieties (e.g., Fut San 佛山, Hok San 鶴山)
dragon
More than two performers.
Chases a pearl.
Displays stamina and team coordination.
Varying lengths (up to 330+ ft)
What if I have more questions about the team or lion dancing?
Looking to join? Check out our Join page!
Looking to request a performance? Please visit our Performance Request page.
Want to know where we're performing? See our Calendar!
General questions or media inquiries? E-mail to info@tddt.org and we'll be happy to answer your questions.
You may also be interested in the Wikipedia pages for lion dance and dragon dance.