1/30/2018 Art Troupe of Renda Fuzhong High School Performing in The Woodlands

“From folk music to the traditional lion dance, students with the Art Troupe of The High School Affiliated to Renmin University of China (RDFZ) gave a stellar performance during the Chinese New Year Celebration held at The Woodlands High School on Jan. 30.

The Woodlands Chinese Cultural Center (TWCCC) collaborated with The Woodlands Township to bring the Art Troupe from Beijing to give local residents a glimpse into Chinese culture. The Art Troupe includes a symphony orchestra, a boys’ dance team, a martial arts team, an aerobics team, a Chinese folk dance and a Chinese traditional music team, for a total of 81 performers.
The orchestra performed several songs for the approximately 400 attendees on Jan. 30. High lilting tunes and deep bass notes resonated throughout the auditorium. The conductor even encouraged the audience to participate by clapping with the beat of “Rusty March.”

The orchestra performance was followed by routines from two dance teams, a martial arts team, an aerobics team and a folk music ensemble. The bright colors and fluid movements of each group culminated in a seamless display of Chinese culture.

Officials with the TWCCC announced at the event that it has made a $200 donation to the Chinese Club of The Woodlands High School, which encourages the learning of Chinese language and culture, to express gratitude and show support.”
—- By Patricia Dillon with The Courier of Montgomery County

On January 30th, the much-anticipated performance by The High School Affiliated to Renmin University of China (RDFZ) Art Troupe finally graced the stage at Lincheng High School’s auditorium. They treated hundreds of eager audience members to an astonishing display of talent.

For nearly two hours, the RDFZ Art Troupe delivered a mesmerizing performance that seamlessly blended Eastern charm with modern flair, showcasing the high caliber of Chinese culture from various angles. The first half featured the BNU Symphony Orchestra’s performance, generating considerable anticipation due to Lincheng’s two prominent high schools, Lincheng High School and Lincheng College Park High School, each having their own symphony orchestras.

The performance commenced with the familiar and lively “Spring Festival Overture,” immersing the audience in the festive atmosphere of Chinese New Year’s Eve celebrations. The upbeat melody transported the audience to a scene of family reunions and joyous New Year celebrations. Subsequent pieces such as “Mahler,” “Happy Salih,” “Spring,” and “Volga River” showcased the orchestra’s skillful performance, with recognizable tunes resonating deeply with the audience. The highlight of the performance was the solo violin performance of “Csárdás Dance,” which featured both serene and intense passages, showcasing the violinist’s remarkable talent and earning thunderous applause from the audience. As Johann Strauss’s “Radetzky March” filled the hall, the audience couldn’t help but clap along, elevating the atmosphere to a climax under the conductor’s direction.

It was truly a delightful surprise. The RDFZ Symphony Orchestra set the stage with an impressive performance, exceeding the audience’s expectations. What surprises would the second half, featuring the RDFZ Cuiwei School’s dance troupe, martial arts team, and folk music ensemble, bring? The male dance troupe’s performance of “Elegance” depicted the dignified and handsome posture of young men exercising in the tranquil morning. The vibrant “Lion Dance” exuded the joyous atmosphere of the Lunar New Year, while the Tibetan dance “Tibetan Dance Tian Ling” showcased the rich Tibetan culture, adding a unique highlight to the entire performance and reflecting the diversity of Chinese culture. Inspired by the poem “Peach Blossom,” the dance “Peach Blossom” depicted the vibrant scenes of spring with graceful movements reminiscent of swaying willow branches and blooming peach blossoms. The aerobics performance “Dancing Youth” exuded a powerful youthful vitality, with its high-difficulty moves eliciting gasps of amazement from the audience and earning applause throughout the performance. The martial arts team’s “Chess Match” tai chi, swordplay, and boxing demonstrated the balance between strength and flexibility in Chinese martial arts, captivating the audience with its fluid movements and dynamic choreography.

While audience members interested in Chinese culture may have some knowledge of martial arts and dance with Chinese elements, they may not be as familiar with traditional Chinese musical instruments. However, when six members of the folk music ensemble performed familiar tunes such as “The Moon Represents My Heart,” “Four Seasons Song,” “Tianya Song Girl,” “Little Quarrel,” and “Send Me a Rose” on the sheng, erhu, pipa, ruan, and flute, the audience’s initial silence gradually gave way to excitement. When the well-known American Western pop song “Oh, Susanna” played, someone in the audience couldn’t believe it and exclaimed “Ah”! Soon, others joined in tapping their feet to the rhythm. As the song concluded, the orchestra seamlessly transitioned to the iconic Christmas song “Jingle Bells,” prompting even more audience members to clap along.

Finally, the entire performance concluded with the resounding chorus of “Welcome to Beijing.”

It must be said that this was an unexpectedly professional performance, given that the performers were all high school students. After the show, audience members praised the high level of performance. Several students from Lincheng College Park High School were reluctant to leave after the show, eagerly discussing the performance on stage. They spoke highly of the BNU Symphony Orchestra’s performance and praised the high-difficulty moves in the aerobics performance “Dancing Youth.” What’s more, they gossiped about which performers were particularly good-looking or cool.

The Lincheng Cultural Exchange Performance by the BNU Art Troupe was organized by the Lincheng Chinese Cultural Center and received high attention from the Lincheng government. Mr. Jie Fei, Cultural Counselor of the Chinese Consulate General in Houston, Consul Gu Haiyong, Deputy Consul Liu Yiran, Lincheng Government Board Member Mr. John Brown, Lincheng Convention and Visitors Bureau Director Mr. Nick Wolda, Lincheng Cultural Committee Chair Ms. Deborah Spiess, and former chair Ms. Amy Lecocq, Lincheng Cultural Committee board members, Mr. and Mrs. Alex and Christie Bunch, and Lincheng Children’s Museum Director Ms. Angela Colton attended the performance. Ms. Veronica Bai, Chairwoman of the Lincheng Chinese Cultural Center, and Vice Chairman Mr. Don Stewart expressed their gratitude to the Lincheng government, the Chinese Consulate General in Houston, all volunteers, and sponsors for their support and encouragement, as well as Lincheng High School for providing the performance venue. Special thanks were extended to the Lincheng High School Chinese Club for their organization and participation.

1月30日，期待已久的人大附中艺术团终于在林城高中演出厅亮相。他们向在座的几百名观众奉献了一场令人惊喜的精彩表演。

在将近两个小时的时间里，人大附中艺术团给观众带来了既有东方风情，又有现代气息，从多方面展现中国文化的高水准演出。上半场是人大附中交响乐团表演。由于林城两大中学，包括给演出提供演出场地的林城高中和林城College Park 高中都拥有各自的校交响乐团，所以人大附中交响乐团的演出颇令人期待。

演出在人大附中交响乐团的一曲熟悉而又热闹的《春节序曲》中拉开了帷幕， 明快而又欢乐的曲调把观众带入除夕夜家家户户团圆，同贺新春佳节的祥和气氛中。一时间，中国文化元素随着欢快的音乐走近观众席。 随后的《玛依拉》，《快乐的萨利哈》，《春天》和《沃尔塔瓦河》展现乐队的娴熟的演奏技巧，而耳熟能详的曲调更引起观众的共鸣。最让观众惊叹的是乐团第一小提琴手的独奏《查尔达斯舞曲》。这首曲子有一定的难度。曲子前半部舒缓悠扬，后半部快速而又激烈。中间还有转调。有一小段高音，拉不好，会相当刺耳。很显然，这位第一小提琴手很成功地完成了独奏，赢得了观众的热烈掌声。当约翰斯特劳斯的《拉德斯基进行曲》响起时，在指挥的示意下， 随着那熟悉的，热烈雄壮，充满激情的曲调，观众们忍不住鼓掌，并打起了节拍，更将现场的气氛带向了高潮。

真是一个惊喜。人大附中交响乐团率先向观众展现了自身的风采，带给观众一个意想不到的演出水准。而下半场的人大附中翠微学校的舞蹈团，武术队和民乐团表演又会给观众什么样的一个惊喜呢？由男子舞蹈团表演的舞蹈《英姿》表现了宁静祥和的清晨中锻炼的青春少年的挺拔英俊的风姿； 一片红通通的《狮舞》透露着喜气洋洋的新春气息；藏族舞蹈《藏舞天铃》带着浓郁的藏族风情，是整台演出中别样的亮点，也体现了中国文化的多元性。“桃之夭夭，灼灼其华”， 取自诗经《周南 桃夭》的舞蹈《桃夭》•呈现了春天桃红柳绿，一片生机盎然的景象。舞台上，六个少女娇媚柔软舞姿，长袖灵动飞舞，仿佛春风中摇曳的柳枝，又似一朵朵绽放枝头的桃花。健美操《舞动青春》迎面给人一股强劲的青春活力。高难度的动作引起观众席上的一些观众的惊呼，也在演出过程中赢得了观众阵阵掌声。武术队的《对弈》太极，剑术，拳术，有模有样，充分体现了中国武术刚柔并济，攻守相当，推进自由的特点。

只要对中国文化感兴趣的观众，或多或少都会对含有中国元素的武术和舞蹈有些了解，然而对于中国民族乐器，就连在座的有中国文化背景的观众未必很熟悉。然而当六名民乐团演员用笙，二胡，琵琶，阮和笛子，演奏出大家熟悉的《花好月圆》,《四季歌》,《天涯歌女》，《小冤家》和《送我一支玫瑰花》时，观众席从开始的一片安静到后来的松动，及至著名的美国西部流行歌曲《哦，苏珊娜》响起，观众席上有人发出不相信的”啊”的声音。不知是谁，首先随着曲调打起了拍子。当此曲结束，乐团紧接着演奏的是美国家喻户晓的圣诞歌曲《铃儿响叮当》时，更多的观众打拍子的行列。

最后，整台演出在《北京欢迎你》歌声中结束。

不得不说，这是一场超乎观众意料，有一定专业水准的演出，虽然演出者都是高中生。看完演出，观众都说表演水平高。 有几个来自林城College Park 高中的学生看完演出依旧不愿离去，看着舞台上那些演员，热烈地讨论着演出。他们对人大附中交响乐团的表演赞不绝口；对健美操《舞动青春》里的高难动作大加赞赏。更有趣地是，他们很八卦地议论着哪位演员的颜值高，哪位演员酷。
人大附中艺术团林城文化交流演出是由林城中国文化中心组织的，并受到林城政府的高度重视。中国驻休斯敦总领事馆文化参赞解非先生, 以及顾海勇领事，刘一然副领事，林城政府董事会成员 John Brown先生， 林城旅游局局长 Nick Wolda先生， 林城文化委员会主席 Deborah Spiess女士，以及前主席 Amy Lecocq女士， 林城文化委员会董事会成员， Alex and Christie Bunch夫妇 和林城儿童展览馆馆长Angela Colton女士观看了演出。林城文化中心主席白芸女士和副主席Don Stewart先生在演出开始感谢林城政府，中国驻休斯敦总领事馆，全体义工和赞助商的支持和鼓励，感谢临城高中提供演出场地。特别感谢了林城高中中文俱乐部的组织和参与。为表达谢意，林城中国文化中心向林城高中中文俱乐部捐赠两百美金。

我们期待有更多的中美文化交流到林城，到休斯敦，期待着林城中国文化中心起到桥梁作用，期待着更多美国人了解中国，认识中国。