The Asian Lion Dance and Variety Show took place on April 3 in Alumni Hall. It was sponsored by the Chinese Student Club as a part of the Asian American Heritage Conference. The event was arranged in two parts, first being the Asian Lion Dance Show, and the other being the Dynamic Asia Drum Night. Kenneth Mitchell and Lu Lu Zhang hosted the first part and between 150 and 200 people attended the event.
The show opened with a welcoming address done by Yasmin A. Ranney, Assistant Dean of Academic Development. What followed was the performance of Sialo Lee who sang a very nice traditional Chinese song in her melodious voice. It was beautiful. Then a Vietnamese dance group called ‘Chua Trec Lain’ gave beautiful performances of Vietnamese folk dances and the traditional hat dance.
A very talented singer and musician named Kaika Yun came to perform an amazing fusion of electronic beats with traditional Asian tunes on her violin. Perhaps the biggest surprise was the Asian rap duo Maintenance Crew’s hip hop act. They sang ‘Love Aint So Easy’ and ‘They Coming After You.’ They seemed a bit nervous during the first song but fell into the groove and performed very well afterward.
The event ended with the most awaited performance of the Lion Dance, which was, to say the least, amazing. The costume was beautifully designed. The music was captivating and the performers were amazingly precise in the details of this particular dance. The Lion Dance is probably one of the hardest cultural dances and they pulled it off without a problem.
It was an unforgettable night and a once-in-a-lifetime experience. The Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Vietnamese are so rich in cultural and dance styles. More events like this should be arranged, so that everyone can know and learn about such rich and amazing cultures while being entertained.
If you didn’t get to see this one, keep your eyes on the bulletin boards around campus for other shows that pop up year-round. There are cultural shows, musical and theatrical performances going on throughout the year displaying the talents of NEIU.