The ballroom was packed to the walls in Baker University Center on Saturday to ring in the Chinese New Year. The celebration began with the traditional Lion Dance to awaken the crowd for a lucky and prosperous year.
The dance, backed by percussion instruments, involved two dancers inside a lion costume wildly moving in leaps and snake-like movements.
Performed by about 10 members of the Sifu-Wahm-Lum Lion Dance Team, the dancers got the crowd involved by taking their lion dance right over audience members' chairs and seating areas.
The finale of the dance involved the lion rising to consume fruit, which in turn lit the lion's eyes. The fruit was released from the lion's mouth and the dancer kicked it in into the air.
This year, the Chinese New Year fell on Jan. 22. The Monkey, which is the designated animal, symbolizes a year of intelligence.
Funded by the International Student Union and sponsored by the Chinese Students and Scholars Association, or CSSC, the $1,500 event featured Chinese traditions and performances from students and members of the Chinese community in Athens.
Yin Yin, Yan Li, Meng Wei Su and Jeremy Foust, members of CSSC and the Chinese Language Student Association Club, or CLSAC, played host for the celebration.
Meng Wei Su, secretary of CSSC sports, said, I've attended each year and I feel this has been the best yet. With all our special performers
I am very proud of the results.
Shih-ming L. Chang performed a sword dance that blends the martial arts of Tai Chi with the Chinese dance to articulate the spirit of the sword.
Chang performed another solo dance called Joyful Teatime to show the enjoyment of Chinese tea.
The CLSAC, led by Yizhu Zhang, took the stage next and sang, Love Song of Kang Ding and performed a fan dance.
After the fan dance, Brian Robinson, a member of the American Karate Jujitsu Team, presented his own sword dance.
When I saw (Shih-ming Chang) performing a sword dance I got the urge to participate and offer my own dance to celebrate this occasion said Robinson.
The hosts had the crowd participate in a Chinese character writing game. Volunteers came to the stage to try and write the character Fu, which means fortune.
It is a tradition to write the character Fu on a door to welcome good fortune or place it on the door upside down to symbolize that fortune arrives.
The festivities came to a close with OU professors and their family members singing the songs, My Chinese Heart and Drink in the New Year.
Afterward, authentic Chinese food was served to everyone in attendance.
Foust said, It was a great opportunity for Americans and internationals to come together and celebrate a cultural experience.
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Blake Gillespie
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From left to right, Guo Li, 14, from Washington, D.C.; Kevin Lee, 17, from Silver Spring, Md.; and Brandon Hsia, 16, from Rockville, Md., practice their dance moves before participating in the Chinese New Years' celebration in Washington's Chinatown neigh
