2019 ACCF Evening Spectacle
By Sherry
The 2019 Austin Chinese Culture Festival (ACCF) hosted by ACAN brought two unforgettable performances to the audience on Feb 16th, 2019. The evening performance particularly showcased artistic talents of many Chinese performing arts groups in Austin and the neighboring cities.
The sixteen programs that made up the two-hour spectacle offered a wide range of entertainment from classical Chinese music and dances to Western Waltz and Trumpet solo. San Antonio Chinese Orchestra kicked off the evening with three pieces of Chinese folk music and set the tone for the Lunar New Year celebration. It was followed by the cheerful and lively Waist Drum Dance, A Great Start, performed by ACAN Performing Arts Group (PAG), one of the fastest growing Chinese clubs in Austin featuring folk dancing, singing, folklore and choir. After the two high-spirited performances, PAG took the audience into the fantasy world of eternal love with elegant Chinese classical dance moves. Other performances brought by PAG included Taiwan Aboriginal Dance, Waltz, Choir and Chinese Classical Dance Medley.
We were fortunate to have several professional artists joining the show. Yuan Chen is a soprano specialized in artistic folk songs and her solo, Pleasant Mood, truthfully expressed the joyous mood in celebrating the Lunar New Year. Aiping Cheng, a six-time national team member and three-time national gold medalist demonstrated Tai Chi with her students. Carrie Wang is a Pipa soloist and a receiver of several national and regional awards. Her powerful performance of Ambush from All Sides immersed the audience back into the historic scene of the battle ground. Hai Zhu is a famous trumpeter who performed in numerous national and international grand events including the opening ceremony of the 2008 Paralympics Games, and this evening he generously re-performed this masterpiece, You and Me. Zheng Yuan is a soprano who appeared many times on CCTV and other Chinese local TV evening concerts and she performed Ave Maria.
Several other very active local performing arts groups also took the stage: The Love of China School of Dance, Master Shao Guzheng Studio, Austin Chinese Choir and ACAN Exquisite Group. These groups had gained fame through their outstanding performances in the past years and this show is no exception. The audience experienced the beauty of art and Chinese culture through their dance, music pieces and Cheongsam Fashion Show.