The lion paused at Stephanie Duran’s doorway, its oversized head tilting as if to peer inside Casita de Todo Abuelita’s Pantry. It was Duran’s first time experiencing the lion dancers. She and her cousin, Natalie Vargas, opened the store just six months prior.
Then, with a sudden dip and shake, the lion began his dance.
Inside the tight aisles, the bright red-and-gold body swayed past hanging clothes and stacked snacks, filling the small shop with movement and sound…