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A lion dance team rooted in a Vietnamese American Boy Scout troop has grown from a teenage experiment inspired by Jet Li movies into a Fairfax group that performs at festivals, weddings and community celebrations.

Alexandria native Andy Huynh co-founded the Hung Vuong Lion Dance Team with friends who grew up watching kung fu films such as “Once Upon a Time in China.” When the teenagers saw lion dancing on screen, they were drawn to its connection with both martial arts and their own culture.

The team’s origins stretch back to a troop led by refugees from the Vietnam War era who wanted to preserve Vietnamese traditions in the United States. At first, Huynh and his friends practiced largely for fun and were unsure of what they were doing. Their knowledge and skills deepened over time, and the group expanded to about two dozen members.

Hung Vuong now operates as an extracurricular activity for Troop 612, a joint Boy and Girl Scout troop based in Fairfax.

Lion dancing is traditionally associated with luck, prosperity and positive energy, as well as driving away evil spirits. The team is busiest around Lunar New Year and the Mid-Autumn Festival, but it also appears at weddings, business openings and other occasions where hosts hope to welcome good fortune.

Each lion costume requires two performers. One controls the detailed head, including its mouth and eyes, while the second moves beneath the cloak-like tail. The rear performer holds the belt of the person in front and communicates through subtle tugs as they move together.

Huynh said a convincing performance requires far more than simply shaking the costume. Some movements are playful and catlike, while others emphasize the lion’s strength and traditional role as a guardian. Acrobatic sequences can include lifting the front performer so the lion appears to rise onto two legs.

Drums, a gong and cymbals drive the performance. Established rhythms accompany the dance, while particular drumbeats also give the team internal directions, such as returning to the front, preparing to bow or bringing the routine to a close.

Some performances include firecrackers, another traditional way of frightening away unwanted spirits as the lion runs, weaves and reacts to the noise.

For Huynh, the combination of movement, music and tradition creates the appeal.

“It’s fun, it’s festive,” he said. “It’s usually associated with festivals and it’s just a great atmosphere.”