2024-2-24
English translation of Zoe Xu’s article
The pandemic has finally passed, and the Edison Intermediate school had approved our request to rent their auditorium for the Western Region Spring Festival Gala. Despite starting preparations early, we faced several challenges regarding the venue. Firstly, Edison, our long-time partner, let us know that their auditorium was under renovation, forcing us to relocate to Roosevelt Middle School on the other side of town. Unfortunately, we couldn’t reach a consensus with Roosevelt about using their cafeteria, forcing us to cancel the New Year’s Eve dinner. Additionally, we could only use half of the stage, affecting many performances. Nevertheless, thanks to the collective efforts of the Chinese Association, we still held the Greater Western Region Chinese New Year Gala at Roosevelt Middle School on February 24. This event, the first in four years, was a combined celebration of the Spring Festival and Lantern Festival.
To warm up the party, activities and games were indispensable. They started at 2:00, although many volunteers arrived earlier to set everything up. Although the cancellation of the New Year’s Eve dinner caused a slight disconnect between the activities and the show, this did not dampen the enthusiasm of the attendees. Kevin’s Year of the Dragon balloons, Meg’s face painting, Carie and Chloe’s medal making, and Claire’s traditional calligraphy were all very popular, drawing in many Chinese and foreign visitors.
A major innovation this year was the invitation of sponsors to set up booths. This not only raised funds for various activities but also provided a platform for direct communication between sponsors and potential customers, creating a triple win for everyone involved.
The show started promptly at seven o’clock, serving as the event’s highlight. Due to an overwhelming number of applications for a spot on this year’s program, the director team had to make the difficult decision to limit the final selection to twenty acts. Tryouts were held to determine which performances would make the cut. To ensure greater community involvement, each performance required at least one local resident to participate. This decision proved to be very wise, as the quality of the performances was outstanding, and the audience’s cheers were deafening, creating an atmosphere comparable to the live experience of the real Spring Festival Gala in China.
The show was as exciting as ever. This year’s hosts, five fantastic high school students, captivated the audience with their fluent Chinese and even more fluent English, setting a high-energy tone from the beginning. The LuLu Zumba Troupe’s dance performance and the Zilu Song and Dance Troupe’s Yao dance made significant breakthroughs compared to previous years, particularly with their bold and innovative costume designs, which attracted considerable attention.
Another highlight of the Spring Festival Gala were the children’s programs. Even occasional mistakes became charming moments, warmly cheered on by parents in the audience. In contrast, the experienced senior citizens’ choir from the Westfield area showcased their energy and high spirits, proving that age is just a number.
Additionally, the Westfield Badminton Team presented a creative musical skit, featuring adorable Year of the Dragon commemorative toys that became a hot commodity among children. The most noteworthy performance was a traditional cross-talk act between Xu Ling, the leading actress from Westfield, and Qiu Wenjia, the president of the Chinese Association. Xu Ling’s authentic aura and Qiu Wenjia’s playful dance moves overwhelmed the audience with delight.
If there was one area we could improve, it would be the stage space, which was too narrow and limited the performance of many dance acts. Additionally, the sound effects were not optimal, affecting the vocal and language programs. However, it was the first show in four years, and we weren’t going to let the inherent shortcomings stop us.
Any successful show owes much to the hard work of the behind-the-scenes staff. Directors, producers, photographers, videographers, stage managers, technicians, and those handling school communications and on-site layout are all volunteers, including many enthusiastic young people from junior high and high schools. Although they may lack the business skills of adults, their high enthusiasm more than makes up for this shortcoming. With such dedicated individuals, the future of the Western Region Spring Festival Gala looks brighter than ever.
Finally, we will summarize this Spring Festival Gala with a poem. Many WACAA members submitted their poems into the competition. The following poem was selected because it was modified using AI to pay tribute to the trend of the times.
元月当空庆甲辰，
Under the bright January moon, we celebrate the Year of Jiachen,
瘟君渐去复常伦.
The plague recedes, and normal life returns again.
儿童欢笑迎新岁,
Children’s laughter welcomes the New Year’s embrace,
老骥高歌问故人.
Elderly sing proudly, greeting old friends with grace.
万紫千红怡外客,
Colors of spring delight guests from afar,
高山流水乐比邻.
Mountain and stream bring joy to those nearby, like a star.
不争海内春来早,
No need to compete for an early spring’s rise,
西域原来已是春.
For in the Western Regions, spring already lies.
Honorable Mention Poems:
一片红云 – 另配词卜算子一首以示恭贺
十年 – 庆西域春晚
Local News Articles:
Westfield Leader – https://www.goleader.com/2024/02/29/westfield-area-chinese-community-celebrates-year-dragon/
2023-2024 WACAA Events Summary: https://www.westfieldchinese.org/2024/03/14/dufang20240314/
