The sounds of rhythmic drumming filled Royce Hall Sunday night as students dressed in red danced gracefully and powerfully to the beat.
The performance was part of this year’s Chinese Culture Night, put on by the Chinese Students and Scholars Association. The event was meant to celebrate this Chinese New Year, which fell on Friday and marked the Year of the Horse.
This year was the first time the annual event was hosted in Royce Hall, says Liyizhi Kou, president of CSSA. Royce Hall accommodated about 1,600 audience members who attended the two-hour event, Kousaid.
Sunday’s show featured Chinese ballroom dancing and a traditional Chinese dance, as well as songs and videos, performed in Chinese, which related to the Year of the Horse.
Student singers and comedians also took the stage at the event, making the audience laugh and cheer. The performances transitioned between traditional dances to comedic songs and skits. One performer sang and performed pop and rock songs in Chinese, and videos provided visual imagery of landscapes and chinese characters.
Junwei Wang, a first-year international psychology student, said Chinese New Year reminds him of when his relatives would travel from different cities and gather in his hometown to share experiences and stories.
He said he thinks the culture night event brings students together for the holiday and creates a sense of home for those who can’t spend the new year with their families.
“International students cannot go home (for Chinese New Year), so the event creates an environment like a big family,” Wang said.
The CSSA provides information to incoming international students about how to navigate the university, Wang said.
Performers and staff have been preparing for the event since June of last year, Kou said. The event cost the CSSA about $27,000.
Fang Jing , a member of the CSSA and a first-year economics and math student, said she celebrates Chinese New Year by spending time with her friends after studying for midterms.
In past years, when she was with her family in China during the holiday, she celebrated by having a large meal with relatives, playing with cousins and watching celebratory performances on television.
Jing said that for her, Chinese New Year is not about the food and the performances she watches, it is about spending time with her family.