CSA show entertains audience

A dance mimicking peacocks, a colorful fashion show and martial arts stunts that included breaking wooden boards were all a part of the Chinese Student Association's Cultural Night yesterday in the Annenberg Center's Harold Prince Theatre. More than 200 students, parents and community members watched the show, which featured diverse acts stemming from many regions and eras. The show began with an introductory slide show and continued with traditional Chinese music accompanying soft dances and songs. One of the musical acts featured four young girls singing folk songs. The evening ended with an upbeat modern dance number. The Tae Kwon Do Club offered another perspective by keeping the audience enthralled with a display of difficult techniques -- such as their demonstration of sparring and breaking wooden boards. One member managed a flying leap over four people and split four one-inch boards in half. The event was also enhanced by a less well-known aspect of Chinese tradition -- a yo-yo performance. Unlike the ordinary yo-yo, the Chinese yo-yo consists of a long string connected to two handles. CSA President and Engineering junior Steve Lin said he viewed the night as a chance for Chinese students to delve into themselves and determine whether they could find personal meaning in their heritage. "We hope everyone enjoyed the show. We worked very hard," Lin said. "What we hoped to accomplish this evening was to give everyone an opportunity to reflect on his or her identity and how it's tied, if it is, to the Chinese culture." Performers were elated after the show, viewing it as a huge success. College senior Edward Tsui, who performed in and choreographed the modern dance, said he was disappointed that he will not be able to be a part of next year's show. "We spent every day practicing, and I feel like we're a family," Tsui said. "I'm really amazed and excited. It was like a dream come true. I'll miss it very much next year." Wharton freshman Cindy Young said she was pleased with the performance despite what she described as a lack of adequate practice time. "Given the time we had, I'm really glad we pulled it off," she said. And for others, working on the show was a reward in itself. "It's been a lot of hard work," Wharton sophomore Daphne Choi said. "I think all the performers had a good time and I'm so glad so many people showed up." While most audience members were happy with the quality and content of the show, many thought it should have been held in a larger auditorium. "I thought it was very good. I thought the kids were really cute," said College junior Onyx Finney, president of the United Minorities Council. "More people need to come to cultural shows. It's a shame they didn't have a bigger theater."

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