By Dean Koenig (V)
The annual Lunar New Year assembly on January 24 commenced as Middle School Chinese 1B students performed the celebratory Chinese Dragon Dance. The students raised and lowered the body of the long, red dragon figure around the auditorium. As one of the most common Lunar New Year traditions, the Dragon Dance is performed for a variety of reasons, including to deter evil spirits and bring good luck.
Next, Jeremy Lin (V), Kyra Li (III), Lauren Kim (III), Aneesh Karuppur (V), and Justin Li (V) played a Chinese folk song called “The Joy of the New Year.” The bright tune of this traditional folk song from the Hebei Province was perfectly captured by the diversity of instruments the students presented. The song represents familial harmony and the lively spring in the New Year.
After the folk song, the Purple Swans Dance Troupe returned to the stage for the second year in a row. Former Upper School Chinese Teacher Ms. Yi Hao, who plays a pivotal role in the group, helped bring them back. They performed an elegant Chinese folk dance for the “New Attire” ritual. The “New Attire” dance represents a Lunar New Year custom in which women wear new clothing and dance joyfully for a year of good fortune.
Next came Franklin Zhu (IV) and Ram Doraswamy (IV), who celebrated the New Year in one of the most popular ways: singing. The two performed “Look Over Here, Girl,” a 1998 Chinese pop song by Taiwanese artist Richie Jen. While singing in Chinese, Zhu played the tambourine and Doraswamy strummed a guitar.
Perhaps the audience’s favorite part of the assembly was when the emcees, Monica Chan (V) and Guan Liang (V), announced that day’s lunch menu. Since food is an integral part of Chinese culture and celebrations, the SAGE Dining crew prepared a delicious Chinese-themed meal. In addition to the lunch, there were Chinese cultural stations led by Chinese students and families in the cafeteria during conference period with activities and treats, such as dumplings, a chopsticks contest, and bubble tea.
As the excitement settled down, a video was played that showed the celebration of Lunar New Year through the lens of student interviews. Those in the video shared the ways in which they celebrate and what they enjoy about the festivities. The video was both informative and humorous, getting several laughs due to the comical editing style.
To close the assembly, the fan favorite Taiko Drumming Club performed a piece called “Tatsumaki,” which means “whirlwind.” The energy of a whirlwind could be felt throughout the auditorium as Pingry Taiko, led by math teacher Mr. Christofer Leone, put on one of its strongest and most dynamic performances yet. “It’s incredibly rewarding to see all the hard work and hours of preparation that the students put in pay off on stage,” Mr. Leone said.
Overall, the assembly was an entertaining way for the community to celebrate the Lunar New Year. Liang said, “The Lunar New Year is a time of joy, and I’m happy to be able to share this joy with the Pingry community.”