On September 12th and 13th, "Awakening Lion", a large-scale dance drama produced by the Guangzhou Song and Dance Theater, was staged twice at the Theater at Mediacorp in Singapore, marking the launch of its multi-country Southeast Asia tour. The performances drew a full house, with Singapore government officials, representatives from the cultural, overseas Chinese and media communities of both China and Singapore in attendance.

As the curtain slowly rose and the drums gradually gathered pace, a series of visually striking scenes unfolded on stage. Southern lion dancers leaped and soared, while the vigorous movements of the performers vividly conveyed the passion and spirit of the people of Southern Guangdong. After the performance, many local audience members said that "Awakening Lion" had brought to life on stage their deep-rooted memories of Lingnan. It allowed them to experience through the lion dance the spirit of earlier generations of Chinese who sailed to Nanyang (Southeast Asia) and built new lives there through hardship, a journey many described as deeply moving.

" 'Awakening Lion' and 'Odes to Heroes' sharethe same roots in Lingnan culture. One tells of the spirit of the awakening lion, while the other carries the overseas Chinese heritage of Chaoshan. Their meeting overseas is both a concentrated showcase of Lingnan intangible cultural heritage and a distant echo between the culture of the homeland and memories of Nanyang," said chief director Qian Xin. He noted that the story of "Odes to Heroes" is closely tied to "going to Nanyang" and the emotions surrounding qiaopi, of which Chinese communities in Singapore have firsthand historical memories. Compared with domestic audiences, overseas audiences are more likely to read in the plot the life imprints of their ancestors who crossed the seas.

Liang Qiqi plays Feng'er in "Awakening Lion" and Lin Qiao'er in "Odes to Heroes". "Feng'er is a tragic and unyielding character, representing Lingnan women who step forward in moments of crisis; Lin Qiao'er embodies more steadfast resilience in waiting, giving voice to the deep concern and quiet devotion of women in overseas Chinese hometowns." For overseas audiences who are not fully familiar with the Lingnan intangible cultural heritage background, she encouraged viewers not to become overly concerned with interpreting every cultural symbol, but instead to experience the characters' joys and sorrows, anger and delight directly, allowing emotional empathy to bridge geographical and cultural divides.

舞剧《醒·狮》“出海”，2026东南亚巡演首站亮相新加坡

9月12日、13日，广州歌舞剧院大型舞剧《醒·狮》在新加坡新传媒剧院连演两场，标志着此次东南亚多国巡演全面启动。《醒·狮》演出当晚，新加坡新传媒剧院座无虚席，当地政府官员、文艺界代表、主流媒体及在新华人同胞到场观演。

大幕徐启，鼓点渐起，一幅幅极具视觉冲击力的舞台画卷徐徐展开。南狮腾跃，舞者刚健，南粤儿女的热血情怀被展现得淋漓尽致。演出结束，不少当地观众表示，《醒·狮》将深植血脉的岭南记忆鲜活呈现于舞台之上，在狮舞之中体悟到华人先辈扬帆南洋、艰苦创业的精神底色，令人深受触动。

“《醒·狮》与《英歌》同源岭南文化，一个述说醒狮风骨，一个承载潮汕侨韵。二者相逢海外，既是岭南非遗艺术的集中展示，也是故土文化与南洋记忆的隔空呼应。”总编导钱鑫谈到，《英歌》故事紧扣“下南洋”与侨批情怀，新加坡侨胞群体对此有着切身的历史记忆。相较于国内观众，海外观众更易从剧情里读到先辈漂洋过海的人生印记。

梁绮琦在《醒·狮》中饰演凤儿、在《英歌》中饰演林巧儿。“凤儿角色悲壮刚烈，代表危难时刻挺身而出的岭南女性；林巧儿身上更多的是守望坚韧，诉说侨乡女性的牵挂守候。”面对并不完全熟悉岭南非遗背景的海外观众，她呼吁大家不必拘泥于符号考据，而是要去直接感受角色的喜怒哀乐，用情感共情打破地域文化隔阂。

文 | 羊城晚报记者 黄宙辉；通讯员 穗文广旅宣
译 | 魏薇
英文审校 | 盛嘉