KUALA LUMPUR: The French forms the largest group of foreigners learning lion dance performance in Malaysia, says Andrew Yap, founder of Malaysia Xuan Long Sports Association.

The association also has students from Vietnam, Singapore, the United States, Japan, Hong Kong and China, he added.

Lion dance is a sport activity Yap is promoting regardless of race and nationality.

Also a lion dance coach for Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR) and several primary schools in Klang Valley, Yap offers free lion dance training for primary school students.

Primary school students are welcome to join the lion dance team under the association, he said.

To promote the sport, lion dance troupe under the association started to perform lion dance at funerals in 2016.

The association has been accepting invitations to perform at funerals as a way of expressing filial piety, he explained.

The association, which has branches in Kuala Lumpur, Rawang, Ampang, Melaka and Sabah, has won close to 40 titles in lion dance competitions in Malaysia since its formation ten years ago, said Yap.

Anyone keen to learn lion dance can visit the association’s Facebook page or call 016-681-2728.