LOOK: The Hidden Workshop in Binondo Where Dragon Costumes Are Made

(SPOT.ph) Along Estero de la Reina in Binondo, behind the historic Escolta Street, an open air workshop is preparing for its busiest day of the year. From a distance, the scene looks straight out of a movie: these colorful bigger-than-life animal heads displayed on one side, with the estuary acroos it, and a Chinese garden bridge at the far end. But it is real life, and it’s been the setting of of 35-year-old Therry Sicat's life since moving here from their original address in Tomas Pinpin Street.

Sicat leads a team that makes the costumes for lion and dragon dances in the metro, a big deal of course during Lunar New Year celebrations. Decades ago, these costumes were all sourced from China or Hong Kong but today there are three known Filipino artisans that make them locally, Therry being one of them. So it’s understandable why Therry is neck-deep at work at the moment. Lion and dragon dance troupes are an essential part of Chinese New Year festivities, as these dance traditions are believed to help sweep away bad vibes and bring in good energy.

Therry’s involvement with lion and dragon dance performances started when he was 15, when he joined a popular group called the Pink Phoenix Lion. Soon after, his father, Anthony Sicat, would form his own dance troupe with other family members. With money saved from his house-painting job, the older Sicat was able to invest in two lion costumes. “Later as the operation grew, we were able to buy a dragon costume as well,” Therry says in Filipino.

From just performing the dance, Therry would go deeper into the tradition. “I got into making lion and dragon dance costumes when I began doing minor repairs on older costumes.” While he picked up his painting skills from his father, he learned the more technical parts from another mentor by the name of Mang Nick Casio, one of the previously mentioned trio of lion and dragon costume artisans in the country. It was here that Therry realized he enjoyed the costume-creating aspect of the dragon dance tradition, as much as he enjoyed performing. “When I am working on a new lion or dragon head, it puts me in a very happy mood,” he says. Eventually he got so good at the job, Mang Nick Casio has named him his most likely successor.

Since the weeks leading up to Chinese New Year are the most demanding, Therry and his team would work on the costumes up until two in the morning—and for good reason. A handcrafted dragon’s head alone can cost a good P8,000, while a full dragon costume can go for as high as P55,000. But this is still cheaper than those imported from China or other Southeast Asian countries, says Therry. "Especially if you add in shipping cost.”

Another disadvantage for procuring costumes from abroad is that foreign makers sometimes don’t bother with following instructions for customisation. “It is because of this that my customers come to me as I can give them what they want,” says Therry. “But I admit that sometimes I do work with foreign makers especially for special job orders. One example is a giant dragon costume whose body I had to have custom-made in Vietnam.”

Therry admits he does sell costume heads made elsewhere in Asia. But this hasn’t stopped people from tapping him for bespoke heads, even if they have to be on a waiting list. “It takes a week to create one lion head, but my customers are willing to wait so that we can customise it to their specifications,” says Therry. “I think that most of the foreign makers for lion and dragon dance costumes don’t send us their best work. So I see the need to create costumes here that will meet our clients’ and the Filipino audience’s expectations.” Therry then points to a shelf with neon-bright dragonheads. “Some of those are imported, but I am able to study their design and add my own ideas to them to make them unique.”

Having been in the business for a while, Therry has naturally made some admirers. “I have one client who already has a collection of 80 of my heads,” he says proudly. But what happens after Chinese New Year? Does the workshop shut down? Apparently not, as lion and dragon dance troupes are in demand all year round, for events such as business openings and various fiestas. And then Therry also makes souvenirs and home-décor items inspired by the lion and dragon dance costumes. “I’ve already created toy size dragon costumes as giveaways for a wedding.”

Despite all the time that costume-making takes up, Therry has not given up the performing side of the business as he now manages his own dance troupe. In fact, they joined the recently concluded Invitational Lion Dance Competition in Greenhills Mall and came away with the top prize. It’s another way of putting their costume work out there and keep the business going. “It’s important that we keep joining and winning these competitions, so other troupes will buy their heads from us.”

There’s no question Therry’s life has benefited from the lion and dragon dance tradition, and the family business born from it. “My life has been better because of lion and dragon dancing.” What about the future? “I got married very young and I now have five kids. My eldest, Tristan, also does lion dance although not so much in the creating side.” But who knows, maybe just like his dad, he’ll get ‘round to it soon enough.