Angel Dance Company Celebrates Chinese New Year in Style

By David Li, bostonese.com

Chinese people have particular affection for the Year of the Dragon. As the only imaginary animal in the 12 zodiacs, the dragon totem symbolizes the Chinese people’s indomitable spirit and courage. In the evening of February 19, 2012, 300 dancers from Angel Dance Company and other friendly dance groups presented a Chinese New Year dance show at Massachusetts Bay Community College McKenzie auditorium.  In front of an audience of more than 500, dancers celebrated the Year of Dragon with performances full of Chinese national styles and music. Even though not every movement by the dancers was impeccable, each dancer’s love of dance and devotion to performance impressed everyone in the audience.

Dressed in a beautiful evening gown, Angel Dance School principal Ke Ke greeted guests warmly at the registration desk. 81-year-old Beatrice Lee arrived early and hugged Ke Ke excitedly. Ms. Lee and her husband Raymond Lee founded the Newton Chinese School more than 50 years ago, and she understood the hard work Ke Ke had done in the past six years in making Angel Dance School one of the most influential dance and educational organizations in the greater Boston area.

Performances started at 6:15. With the cheerful music of running horses, on come more than 10 girls rushing onto stage, whose left hand holding the imaginary rein, and right hand waving imaginary whip. Their bodies went up and down as if they were riding on the horse back in the endless grass land of Mongolia. Students from the towns of Sharon, Acton, Boston, Waltham, Framingham took the stage to perform Xinjiang Dance, Ribbon Flying, Dragon, The Flowers blossoming, Childish Fun and many other beautiful dances.

Waltham group of Angels Dance Company performing “Flute language”. (John Tsou photo)

Angel Dance School’s guest teachers Shan Gong, Yi-feng Liu wonderful pas de deux “horizon” brought the first half’s performance to a climax. Their impeccable dance skills and the passion took breath away from the audience.

During the break, freelance photographer, Mr. Mickey Goldin, told reporter that he felt very fortunate  to enjoy such a beautiful Chinese dance show in Boston. In order to seize the wonderful moments, he had shot hundreds of photos with his Nikon.

Fan Dance (John Tsou photo)

In each half of the show, there was a dance named “Why are the flowers so red”.  They were performed by the students’ mothers from the Chinese Dance Company and the Sun Dance Company. In his email, Yu Li, a well known Chinese poet in Boston area wrote: “two groups of moms performed remarkably well, especially Sun Dance Company’s Yan Li. She couldn’t help herself and sang with the music while dancing.  I have always thought that the most moving moment of a dancer’s performance is when she danced with the music and sang from the bottom of her heart almost like she is melting. A dancer in such state is dancing with her soul, and that’s when magic of dance reach deep into my heart ”

Pas de Deux (John Tsou photo)

The second half of the show, interspersed with multiple fragments of the “Tribe of Dragon” dance show, and let the audience enjoy the Rainy Small Town, Suzhou Embroidery, Sail, Green Vase dances in advance. Like the agile steps of the dances, performances of over 20 dances came to an end without the audience realizing it. They paid tributes to the performers with cheers, standing ovations and roses.

Yi-feng Liu performing solo dance “Autumn Memories” (John Tsou photo)

Ke Ke told reporter that the “Tribe of Dragon” dance show will be held in John Hancock Hall in Boston on April 7. She thanked the support from teachers, volunteers and the sponsors in the community for the Chinese New Year dance show. For tickets information of the  “Tribe of Dragon” dance show, please refer to the Angel Dance School website: www.angelperformanceart.com.