By Mia Herz, Alexandra Steyn, and Lily Leand

On Wednesday, February 11, the RCDS community celebrated the Lunar New Year with a performance by the Lina Liu Artist Group. This nonprofit organization’s goal is to educate others on the importance of Eastern culture and artistry. Featuring a Chinese Traditional Lion Dance, Acrobatic performance, and a Bian Lian (face-changing) act, the performance excited the audience, causing countless laughs, and showcased Chinese culture. The performance finale was an act of Umbrella Lina balancing umbrellas on her feet. She practiced nonstop 10 hours a day for 15 years to be able to master this performance. This has made her the world’s leading umbrella juggling performer, a Guiness World Record holder and a recipient of the prestigious International Circus Gold Prize. She has also performed during NBA halftime shows and headlined at globally renowned venues such as the World Economic Forum and the Lincoln Center.

The three performers’ interactions with the audience proved the highlight of the event. As part of the Lunar New Year lion dance, the two men who acted as the lion went into the audience and confronted students sitting along the aisles, prompting several laughs. The man who performed the Bian Lian act also ventured into the audience, shaking several students’ and teachers’ hands and expertly switching masks with the wave of his hand. Lina also invited students up on stage as part of her spinning plates act, a traditional Chinese acrobatic art that requires performers to spin multiple plates on thin sticks while dancing or performing stunts. Lina taught the group of students to spin the plates and perform simple stunts while doing so as the students in the audience cheered on their peers.

As students left the auditorium, they were greeted by a treat of delicious tangerines, which represent luck, wealth, and prosperity for the New Year. The Lunar New Year celebration proved an excellent way to share Eastern culture and celebrate the New Year with Upper School students.