Young female dragon dancers in Vietnam challenge gender roles ahead of Lunar New Year

Traditional dragon and lion dances are most commonly performed by men in many societies, but a group of young female dancers in Vietnam is challenging the gender norms. The Tu Anh Duong troupe in the Mekong Delta city of Cần Thơ has been training hard to prepare for the 2021 Lunar New Year, and the annual celebrations where dancers are in great demand. Dragon and lion dances differ in terms of the number of performers required, with lion dances involving only two performers and dragon dances usually needing more troupe members. In addition, audiences can clearly see dragon dancers in a performance while lion dancers tend to be more concealed by their costumes.