Kung Fu Whiz to Perform in Ancient Chinese Ceremony

• Name: Siobhan Herbstritt, Age: 15
• School: North Salem Central Schools
• Accomplishment: Now a seasoned martial artist, Herbstritt will have the honor of taking the lead in a traditional Chinese lion dance next month.
• Keys to Awesomeness: Endurance, confidence.

Herbstritt has been practicing kung fu at the  since the seventh grade.

"When I was younger I used to play all sorts of different sports but I never found one I really loved until I came here," Herbstritt said. She's been learning about hand-to-hand self-defense techniques, weapon usage and ancient Chinese culture at the Center.

"It's been absolutely amazing — I feel like I belong here," she said.

Currently, Herbstritt is practicing an ancient Chinese lion dance, which she will perform at the Hammond Museum in North Salem April 30. The dance, which is believed to expel evil spirits and bring good luck, is a tradition that dates back to the Han Dynasty in 206 B.C. Two performers don the ceremonial lion costume, one controlling the head and the other the body, and are joined by a percussion section of cymbals, gongs, and a large drum.

Herbstritt will control the head — the highest honor. She says the dance will incorporate much of her kung fu training.

"Back in the older days of China, martial arts were illegal, so the monks found a way to hide their martial arts within the lion dance," she explained. "You'll see many different stances, many different forms and there are a lot of kicks in it that you'll see within the lion's movement."

Through the intensity of the dance and the physical and mental rigors of kung fu, Herbstritt has had tremendous personal growth over the past few years.

"I do things I normally wouldn't have done" she said.