On Saturday, January 21 we celebrated Chinese New Year and the Year of the Dragon with a wonderful production of traditional Chinese dance and music followed by a Chinese dinner. Volunteer Mingli Wang organized the performance and was the narrator.
In her opening remarks Wang explained, “Chinese New Year is also known as Spring Festival. Ancient China was an agrarian society. The beginning of spring marked the start of a new season of crops and hope. Thus, the Spring Festival has become the most important festival in Chinese culture.”
Wang recruited six very talented Chinese students from USC to participate along with other performers. Musical pieces included solos on a 21 string harp, a gourd flute, a piano piece called Liuyang River and a popular vocal love song. Dances included a sword dance (performed by a Resident), a village girl dance and a couple duet. There was also a demonstration of calligraphy and Kungfu.
“It was so wonderful to have the young people share their talents,” said Bing Varias, Activity Director. “The Residents were captivated by their authenticity, energy and skill. We are so grateful to them for coming and to Mingli for organizing the performance. It was a wonderful afternoon for everyone.”
