Chronicle of the Sunbird (2) - Our four old swans (picture)

Chronicle of the Sunbird (2) - Our four old swans (picture) Contributed by Zhang Yuanli, one of the four swans Some people say that life abroad is always about "matter"...

Chronicle of the Sunbird (2) - Our four old swans (picture) Contributed by Zhang Yuanli, one of the four swans Some people say that life abroad is often lived in a "material paradise/cultural desert". This is a common feeling among many Chinese living in the United States, but New Oriental Art School has injected a spring into this cultural desert. At the "Alberta Spring Festival Gala" organized by New Oriental Art School and other units on January 21 this year, our four old swans became a drop of water in this spring. We accidentally gave thousands of Chinese and foreign friends a try on the big stage of the Spring Festival Gala, making everyone laugh. Thank you for your support. After the party, we received congratulations and encouragement from the society, relatives and friends, and we were filled with emotion during the months of rehearsal process. Zhang Yuanli: "As the curtain fell, my imagination began to wander. When I was young, I performed in a publicity team and other "artistic groups." I have been in the United States for 20 years, and I didn't expect to return to the stage as "Little Swan." The dance was different but the stage was very friendly. It not only allowed me to regain my past memories, but also enriched my amateur culture. In life, during the past few months of secret rehearsals, competitions, and practice of every move at the New Oriental Art School, we all forgot that we may have almost entered the ranks of the old swans. Learning to dance puts people in a state of youth from head to toe. People must live happily to become younger and younger. ” Chen Zhigang: “Everyone knows that I changed my face and improved my stage performance and performance level by dancing ‘Little Swan’. In the dance classroom, Teacher Qiu teaches us the basic skills of dance and the dance movements of the little swan, from which we experience many body shapes and artistic performance skills, and understand the shaping and expressive power of body movements from another perspective. The harvest is huge and the benefits are not small. " Zhang Weidong: "I am the youngest among the four swans with an average age of 50 years old. I learned martial arts when I was a child, and my dance moves are a bit vigorous. It was the first time in my life that I went on stage, dressed in a pure swan costume, and performed a beautiful and sincere 'difficult' dance sequence of "Swan Lake". Thank you to several big brothers for their cooperation, and to New Oriental Art School for giving us a platform that allows us to show in front of 1,500 audiences, adding a bit of joy and relaxation to your holiday life." Peng Bo: "When I first received the task of arranging the boys' dance, there was no "Swan" program. Later, the organizer considered the entertainment of the Spring Festival Gala. Half of our audience did not understand Chinese. It was obviously not possible to borrow comedy programs such as sketches and cross talk. Mr. Liu Luohong, the general director of the party, came up with this program. The purpose is to make everyone laugh during the New Year and have a happy Chinese New Year. The director also creatively placed our program among the children's programs, creating a huge contrast. Sure enough, as soon as our four little swans appeared on the stage, the audience burst into laughter. This experience not only made me discover that I could dance such a "difficult" dance, but also reduced my weight by 8 pounds. Friends who want to lose weight, this is a very good method, and you will see immediate results." We four "little swans" sincerely invite more friends to join us in learning dance, exercising their bodies, cultivating their sentiments, bringing joy to others, and promoting Chinese culture. We sincerely hope that the Spring Festival Gala in Arizona will continue to be held and become more and more prosperous. The New Oriental Art School, a spring of Chinese culture and art, will continue to flow and nourish the cultural desert where Chinese people live in the United States. People in North America should go to the spring to draw water.