Stewart Theatre was a site to be seen this past Saturday when the Confucius Institute, a partnership with Nanjing Normal University in China offering a program to spread Chinese culture, teamed up with the Chinese Students and Scholars Friendship Association to bring to students “Talking Tiger Hip Hop.”
The event was a spectacle featuring a modern spin on traditional Chinese tales and customs. The event’s greatest achievement brought together people across cultures to experience what Chinese culture has to offer.
According to Guanglin Dai, a program coordinator for the Confucius Institute, the purpose of the event was to welcome back students and to a new semester and to spread cultural awareness.
“It’s all about spreading cultural awareness and diversity,” Die said.
Anna Lamm, an international program coordinator at the Office of International Affairs, said the program began as musical production that later became a more elaborate production featuring different forms of art.
The event took off with the TAGAS Youth Group performing the Lion Dance. Youths dress in lion costumes danced to a drumbeat as the crowd became mesmerized. The event continued with performances by the Ruby Slippers Chinese Dance Club and singing by the University’s very own Bikan Tan, a doctoral student in physics.
Following Tan’s performance, Jennifer Chang performed You and Me and Fighting Typhoon on her Guzheng. Then Wesley Shang from Enloe High showcased his talent with his Chinese yo-yo.
Afterwards the University’s Fusion Dance Club danced on stage to Trip Hop performance followed by Sunny Dance group performed the traditional Dance: Peacock Lake. Beibei Lu from Duke University followed the Sunny Dance team with a Wudang Taichi Sword performance. She wooed the crowd with her display of swordsmanship as she swung the blades in the air. Shang from Enloe High gave his final performance of the night with a display of Shaolin fists.
After a quick intermission, the event came to its climax the performance of Tiger Tales by Chinese Theatre Works from New York. The performance was very theatrical and humorous, to say the least. The story catered to a much more light-hearted crowd with it’s sometimes childish humor.
Overall, the event was a success, according to Lamm.
“We were extremely happy… we estimated about 400 to 450 people,” Lamm said.
Lamm said WKNC is also helping the Confucius Institute by bringing China Hour to the campus.
The Confuscius Institute will also be sponsoring another event at Stewart Theatre with the art department on November 18th called Jigu! Thunder Drums.
