Dragon team rings in New Year: Mills High School club to perform in Millbrae and S.F. during Lunar New Year celebrations

The dragon team is moving into its 19th year of existence, and the 17th year that it will be performing in the San Francisco celebration.

Nathan Yang, captain of the dragon team, said he is enthusiastic to perform in the parade, as that is his favorite part of being in the club.

“There is an adrenaline rush that is hard to find outside of the parade,” said Yang, who is in his fourth year of being part of the dragon.

Yang is one of the five members of the team dancing as the head of the dragon. Each section of the dragon features two teams which revolve in and out over short intervals during performances.

He said participating can be exhausting, as running, bowing and dancing while holding a section of a 25-pound dragon head demands a great degree of physical fitness.

Yang is the team captain and began in the tail of the dragon but is now part of the team that holds the head. He said the element he appreciates most about being on the team is the sense of community.

“The team consists of all the grades at the school. We don’t care what grade you are in, everyone is friendly to each other,” he said.

Wayne Phillips, advisor of the dragon team, spoke highly of Yang’s abilities as captain.

“Nathan has been an incredible leader,” said Phillips. “He has a passion for the dragon, and knows exactly what is going on with it at all times.”

Phillips said the team consists of 80 students, split among multiple smaller squads, who perform as sections of the dragon and then another eight who play percussion instruments such as drums, cymbals and gongs to accompany the dragon dance.

The most challenging position to play is the tail, said Phillips, as it requires being pulled by the rest of the body, and having to react to teammate movements.

Preparation for Lunar New Year celebrations typically take six to eight weeks, said Yang. Saturday, Feb. 21, will be the team’s last practice prior to its performance season.

“There’s a tremendous amount of camaraderie, and a real commitment to a fine performance,” said Phillips.

Participating in parades, especially the Lunar New Year celebration in San Francisco, makes all the hours spent practicing worth it, said Phillips.

“When the parade is over, the adrenaline is just huge,” he said. “It’s a lot of work, at the end, you really enjoy the results.”

Yang echoed those sentiments, and said that running alongside the dragon as part of the relief team, before switching roles back to performing, can give an awesome perspective to a team member.

“When you look back and see its maneuvers, you really get a sense of something bigger,” he said. “You see everything in action.”

Mills High School Principal Paul Belzer said the dragon team provides a unique venue for students to express their school spirit.

“It’s a really neat opportunity for students to demonstrate their pride in Mills,” he said.

Belzer said attending the performance in San Francisco is fun because alumni from past graduating classes frequently watch the parade, and express the pride that they still feel for their alma mater.

“It’s a really neat thing for our community,” he said.

The Lunar New Year Festival in Millbrae will begin 10 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 28, at 1 Library Ave. The Lunar New Year Parade in San Francisco will begin 6 p.m. in San Francisco.

austin@smdailyjournal.com

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