Dragon, Lion, Ribbon, Fan, Lantern, Belly and Dabke Dances Competition: What It Is, Where It’s Run and How It’s Judged

A team dance item in the Folk Dance part of a Trinidad and Tobago village competition, covering the Chinese, Syrian and Lebanese influenced dances named in its title, scored out of 100.

This item sits in the traditional influenced part of the Folk Dance section of a national village competition in Trinidad and Tobago. Its long title names the forms it covers: dragon, lion, ribbon, fan and lantern dances, and belly and dabke dances. The rules document groups them as dances influenced by Chinese, Syrian and Lebanese traditions, so one village or community group chooses one of these forms and presents it as a company.

The rules print a minimum of six dancers for every dance presentation, with no maximum. In eTalenter the item is one open team group, mixed gender, any language, marked out of 100. The template prints no time limit and does not say which single form must be shown, so a group should ask the organiser whether it may combine forms, how long the piece may run, how music is supplied and how much stage space it has.

On the day the group performs once while the panel marks five heads. Content is worth 30 of 100 and Presentation 25, so judges look first for a dance whose steps, props and technique clearly belong to the chosen form, then for dancers who stay together with the accompaniment, then for floor patterns, costume and overall effect.

Organisers run it as a single combined item because each of these forms is performed by far fewer groups than the main devotional and influenced dances. Putting them together gives smaller communities a category of their own and gives audiences a change of colour and pace in the programme.

Where Dragon, Lion, Ribbon, Fan, Lantern, Belly and Dabke Dances comes from

The title lists dances associated with Chinese, Syrian and Lebanese communities. The competition rules simply print them as one category, so the group and the organiser should confirm exactly which form and which regional style is expected.

Where Dragon, Lion, Ribbon, Fan, Lantern, Belly and Dabke Dances is run

In eTalenter’s data this item appears in one template: the Folk Dance part of a national village competition in Trinidad and Tobago, listed after Chutney Dance and before Spiritual Liturgical Dance, which opens the contemporary part of the section. This page makes no claim that it is judged the same way anywhere else.

• Trinidad and Tobago

Key facts

• Team entry by a village or community group; the rules print at least six dancers and no maximum.
• Marked out of 100: Choreography 20, Content 30, Presentation 25, Costume 20, Impact 5.
• One catalogue entry covers seven named forms; the template prints no time limit, and language is any. Confirm the time limit and the form with the organiser.
• Props such as ribbons, fans and lanterns belong to the form, so their handling is part of what is marked, not an extra.
• Idea starters, not rules: build the piece around one clear prop and show three distinct patterns with it; open with a slow reveal before the full group moves; end on a shared pose that shows the prop at its best.

On eTalenter, Dragon, Lion, Ribbon, Fan, Lantern, Belly and Dabke Dances is filed under Dance and typically scored with Marks. It appears in 1 ready-made event templates — each one can adjust its time limit, age-group assignment and scoring setup independently.

Across the templates that use it, Dragon, Lion, Ribbon, Fan, Lantern, Belly and Dabke Dances is most often entered as an Team competition, typically scored out of 100.

What judges look at in Dragon, Lion, Ribbon, Fan, Lantern, Belly and Dabke Dances

What a Dragon, Lion, Ribbon, Fan, Lantern, Belly and Dabke Dances panel is actually weighing up, and where the marks are usually won or lost:

• Choreography (20): use of space, dynamics and creativity. Varied floor patterns and a clear build earn marks; repeating one formation at one pace loses them.
• Content (30): dance vocabulary, authenticity of form, communication, authenticity of tradition and technique. Marks go when steps or props do not belong to the chosen form, or when it is unclear which form is being shown.
• Presentation (25): synchronisation, authenticity of accompaniment and execution. Dancers out of unison, or props handled raggedly, cost marks here.
• Costume (20): authenticity, functionality and suitability. Dress that suits the form and allows safe, full movement with the props scores; restrictive or mismatched outfits lose marks.
• Impact (5): the overall effect, often settled by a confident entrance and a united ending.

Treat these as the judging focus, not a fixed rubric: publish your own weighted criteria for Dragon, Lion, Ribbon, Fan, Lantern, Belly and Dabke Dances under Scoring Setup, or start from how judge scoring and tabulation software works.

How to prepare for Dragon, Lion, Ribbon, Fan, Lantern, Belly and Dabke Dances

How entrants and their teachers usually get Dragon, Lion, Ribbon, Fan, Lantern, Belly and Dabke Dances right on the day:

• Ask the organiser which form or forms are expected, the time limit, the music rules and the stage size before choosing the piece.
• Enrol at least six dancers, since six is the printed minimum, and name a reserve.
• Choose one form and learn it properly from someone who knows it, rather than mixing props and steps from several traditions.
• Practise prop handling on its own first: carrying, turning and passing ribbons, fans or lanterns until it is automatic, then add the formation changes.
• Write the running order: entrance, each section, formation changes and closing pose, then rehearse it exactly as written.
• Rehearse with the exact music or accompanists well before the day so every change of tempo is familiar.
• Check that props are safe and stage-ready: lanterns that are stable, ribbons that do not tangle, fans that open cleanly.
• After a first-round loss, ask which head scored lowest and rework that part first.

Frequently asked questions

Is Dragon, Lion, Ribbon, Fan, Lantern, Belly and Dabke Dances judged individually or as a team?

Across eTalenter’s templates it’s most often run as an Team entry, though an organiser can set either participation type when assigning the item to an age group.

Is this one dance or several?

It is one catalogue entry that names seven forms. A group normally presents one form; ask the organiser whether combining forms is allowed.

How many dancers are needed?

The rules print a minimum of six dancers for dance presentations and no maximum. Check any extra limits with the organiser.

Do props count towards the marks?

The props belong to the form, so how well they are handled shows up under Content, Presentation and Costume rather than as a separate head.

How is the item marked?

Out of 100: Choreography 20, Content 30, Presentation 25, Costume 20 and Impact 5.

Want the full judging picture? Read how judge scoring and tabulation software works, or browse every dance competition item.