So you think you can lion dance

• But some lion dancers say they're struggling to get younger kids interested in the ancient tradition.

Driving the news: It's lion dancing busy season right now. They're in high demand during the 15-day Lunar New Year, which runs from Tuesday to March 3 this year.

• Performances happen at restaurants, temples, businesses, festivals and casinos around the region.
• San Diego's Lunar New Year Festival begins Friday night in City Heights.

Catch up quick: Lion dancing is used to clean out the bad energy when you're starting something new, Tram Lam, leader of the Little Saigon San Diego Foundation, told Axios.

• The dance takes brain and brawn.
• Teams of two wear the massive lion head and body costumes while executing complicated choreography, accompanied by a drum, cymbals and a gong, Peter Khem with the Legendary Lion Dance Association told Axios, which has been training dancers for 26 years.
• Khem joined after looking up to lion dancers he saw at festivals as a child.

How it works: Lion dancing is like Kung Fu, and many dancers have martial arts backgrounds, Khem said.

• It takes two people to operate the costume, and they have to have rhythm.
• "You have to know how to be on pace with a drum beat," he said. "It's just like normal dancing, like hip hop, ballet, or jazz dance. It requires musicality and a good sense of rhythm."

You also need to be fit. Khem said practices involve running laps, wall sits and other cardio, along with rehearsing the footwork and moving inside the lion costume.

• "Once you're inside the lion, you have to be able to multitask," he said. "You have to be able to listen to the music carefully, be on point, move at the right pace and the right timing."

Stunning stat: The lion heads used to weigh up to 50 pounds, but now they're made from lighter bamboo, so they're down to 10 pounds, Khem said.

Inside the lion: Most dancers have a regular partner and stick with one position, either the head or the tail.

• "They build on each other's chemistry, so they know how to understand each other's movements and footwork, so it makes it easy for them to adapt," he said.
• But they can also mix it up if needed.

Threat level: At 26, Khem is a veteran lion dancer, and said he wants to be sure kids are still interested in the art form.

• But it can be hard to get them out doing something and off social media, he said.

The latest: He's prepping for his favorite event, the Lunar New Year Eve Festival in City Heights, which is like New Year's Eve.

• Khem remembers watching lion dancing at the Chua Ba Thien Hau temple, and now he gets to be one of those lions.
• "We're wanting to not just showcase our talents, our hard work, but we want to be able to inspire the next generation to participate in cultural activities like lion dance, so we can help keep the culture and art alive," he said.