We Build for People
Unity Dragon and Lion Dance Troupe was founded in 2019 by Kenny Tran-Do and officially established as an organization in 2020. What began as Kenny's childhood passion for dragon dancing, lion dancing, and martial arts has grown into a welcoming community of over 70 individuals from diverse backgrounds across Houston, Texas, USA. Since then, a Board of Directors has been established with a continued focus on investing in our people. Through this commitment, a strong leadership team has been built upon the foundation of learning, promoting, and celebrating the art and culture. With all the right pieces in place, our organization has cohesively worked together to land over 100+ performances each year as well as receive a wide range of recognition on major platforms such as the Houston Chronicle, KHOU 11, and KPRC-TV. In 2022, we proudly became a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, and in 2025, we celebrated a major milestone with the opening of an expansion facility. Our journey is far from over as our story continues to unfold, driven by passion, guided by tradition, and strengthened by Unity.
Darren Tran Sifu
Tran Sifu (Chinese: 陳世安, Vietnamese: Trần Thế An) was born in 1956 in Saigon, Vietnam and began his kung fu and lion dance training at the age of 14 in Cho Lon, Saigon, Vietnam 提岸西貢. He has learned multiple kung fu systems, including Hung Ga 洪家, Mok Ga 莫家, and Tai Chi 太極, from different Masters.
In 1979, Tran Sifu immigrated to the United States, and in addition to studying and working hard to support his family, he continued to cultivate his interest in kung fu and martial arts. In 1996, Tran Sifu joined Yun Yee Tong USA 美國周館仁義堂 in San Jose - led by Thomas Tang Sifu 曾文卓師傅 to learn Jow Ga kung fu. After a year, Tran Sifu held multiple positions in Yun Yee Tong USA, including: Representative, Chinese-Vietnamese-English Secretary, Co-Director, and an Instructor Assistant to train new students in basic Jow Ga kung fu.
Between 1997 to 2006, Tran Sifu organized all the major event performances for Yun Yee Tong, including the San Francisco Chinese New Year parade, Fremont, California Asian Chinese New Year parade, Watsonville, California Asian Chinese New Year parade, San Jose Christmas holiday in the park parade, the Vietnamese Tet Festival New Year parade in downtown San Jose, and the Kelly Park Asian community event at San Jose history park. Now, Sifu Darren lives in Houston, Texas, USA where he has lived since 2016.
