'They were the first ones there': Lion dance troupe becomes teen's family through pregnancy, mother's death
When Nuraini Adeya found out she was pregnant at the age of 16, there was one group of people she did not hesitate to tell.
"I wasn't nervous or scared to let them know," said the now 18-year-old, a troupe member at Namyang Lion Dance Centre who performs as a lion head and plays the instruments.
"They were all shocked, of course," she added. "But after that, we started making jokes to make me laugh because they knew I was stressing out about what to do."
It was not the first time the troupe has rallied to support the married mother-of-one.
In 2023, when her mother's cancer worsened, the then-15-year-old found herself shuttling between the hospice, hospital, and lion dance training sessions. She had considered pulling out of a competition, but ultimately stayed on with the troupe's encouragement.
"When my mum passed, Namyang was the first to arrive at the hospice — before my family," Ms Adeya said.
After being a lion dancer for the past five years, the only child now hopes that her son Hayyan will take up the art form too. "Just as the troupe has supported me emotionally, I know that they will take care of my son."
Founded on Nov 28, 2016, the 50-member Namyang has been making waves online since it began using TikTok as a recruitment channel in 2021.
A recent video that went viral saw Namyang performing at an influencer's gender reveal party with pastel pink and blue lions. Posted on Feb 9, the video has garnered more than 323,300 views and 20,000 likes, with many commenting on the "cute" idea.
It was such videos that brought Ms Adeya to the troupe. After seeing the troupe on her TikTok For You Page, she auditioned and officially joined in Dec 2021.
After the birth of her son Hayyan last June, Namyang posted a TikTok video welcoming the newborn into their community. Members also surprised her with a hamper of baby items and made sure she only played instruments during her recovery period.
"We've been through so much together, and I might not find this friendship with any other troupe," said Ms Nuraini.
A troupe across generations
The oldest Namyang member is 51-year-old founder Peter Goh, while the youngest is nine. According to Mr Nicolas Goh, the founder's 23-year-old son and second-in-command, about 80 per cent of members are Chinese, while the rest are Malay.
During the off-peak season, the troupe trains once a week at night. In the lead-up to the Chinese New Year (CNY), it increases to twice weekly. They typically perform on all 15 days of the festive period.
None of the troupe members perform full-time. Most are students or working adults, and the troupe declined to comment on remuneration.
Members come and go, but Nicolas said there is "no drama" surrounding any departures.
"We try to understand that they have their own reasons for leaving. It could be that training is too intense, or they're just not into lion dance anymore."
Supporting members beyond performance
Stomp joined Namyang during a weekday evening practice at their training grounds in an industrial building in Eunos, which the troupe has been occupying for a year.
Nicolas led the session. Troupe members moved like clockwork, setting up the space and rolling out drums and cymbals before pulling down the shutters. The last step is necessary to minimise noise, as Namyang has previously had to relocate its operations due to noise complaints.
A typical training session sees the lion dancers and percussionists rehearsing separately in the first half, before coming together to run through their full routines in the second half.
Troupe member Aily Kina, who serves as the lion tail, had brought her daughter Ariel along. The cheerful toddler spent the evening happily playing the drums, helped along by another member who usually partners Ms Kina as the lion head, while Nicolas put the rest of the troupe through their paces.
"They all love Ariel and see her as Namyang's extended family," said Ms Kina with a chuckle.
Lion dance has been part of Nicolas' life since he was a six-year-old mesmerised by the live performances.
Over the years, however, he has noticed a shift in audience reactions.. "People don't usually applaud anymore," he said. "They just watch, and once we're done, they're like, 'okay, done.'"
That can be discouraging, especially as performances are physically demanding. Nicolas recalled pushing through a performance despite running a fever. The job was for a long-time client of his father, Namyang's founder, who would specifically request Nicolas each year.
Describing the experience as physically draining, he said: "I don't think anyone has the energy to do much when they have a fever."
Asked whether he saw it as an act of filial piety, Nicolas was quick to disagree. "It's just my responsibility to ensure the troupe has a good reputation," he said.
While the troupe believes in seeing performances through, Nicolas added that he is thankful no member has suffered a serious injury that required a show to be stopped midway for medical attention.
"Someone did fall on their butt and bruise it," he told Stomp with a laugh.
Bruises and sore soles, he added, are part of the craft, though Namyang emphasises proper technique to minimise risks.
Despite the challenges, Nicolas believes the effort and risks are worthwhile, especially when the crowd does cheer, and when the troupe bonds during CNY.
Namyang's CNY schedule leaves little time for visiting family and friends, but 17-year-old Gavin Tan does not feel like he is missing out on anything.
"I usually spend the first day of CNY with my family. After that, my relatives will pass the ang baos (red packets) to my parents, who will pass them to me," the tertiary student said with a shrug.
Ms Nuraini seemed to sum it up best: "Once you step into Namyang, you forget everything outside. All you have here is laughter and memories."
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