BILOXI – The lion blinks its fur-lined, hand-painted eyes as it approaches a set of red benches, stacked two on two. Nervous, it makes a few practice jumps, bounding from side to side as its fabric body ripples. Then, it rears up to stand on its hind legs before leaping forward, four sequined paws landing onto the narrow wood.
Off to the side, musicians play furiously. The drummer beats out a steady da-dum as the lion grows more confident, and the gong follows the drum. The crash of cymbals rings in the air.
After returning to the ground, the dancers lift off their costume to reveal two young men, who drop into a quick bow before transforming back into the large cat. One dancer manipulates the lion head, the other, bent over at the waist, acts as the tail…