Graduation Performance

Friday night we had the annual graduation ceremony/performance for the Foreign Language College. I ended up participating in it last year by playing a piano duet with Dawson. This year I got asked to play the piano again. One of my junior students, Rufus, wanted to sing a well-known Chinese song and he talked Katie into singing it in Chinese with him and I played the piano for them (side note . . . there's a huge cultural difference between us and Chinese people when it comes to performing . . . we foreigner teachers generally try to avoid getting roped into performances; however, this time we agreed, especially Katie, because the students really do just absolutely love it if you ever get up on stage). The song is called "The Moon Represents My Heart" and, in my opinion, would be similar to a song like "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" in English.

If it hadn't been our students, then this year's performance would have just been deja vu of every other Chinese performance I've ever been to, but because we knew all the kids who were up there singing or dancing or playing instruments, it was much more meaningful and entertaining and fun. I feel a little like a mom with several dozen kids who all wanted me to watch their part of the show.

Welcome Sign

Our audience . . . most of the students and faculty from the Foreign Language College

Me playing the introduction as Rufus walked on stage. This year I got to play a grand piano! This year, like last year, they used a bubble machine on stage. Bubbles are distracting when you're trying to play or sing in front of people!

Katie and Rufus singing "The Moon Represent My Heart." (Sorry mom . . . I know you're sad that you can't see me . . . I'm there playing the piano behind Katie, I promise!)

Dawson played the piano while he sang a fun, upbeat song in Chinese. Quite the multi-talented performer. The students loved it.
I think the fan dance is my favorite. It's a combination of tradition and modern dance and music and the fans and costumes give it a dramatic affect. Video would be better than just a picture but for now pictures are all I have.
The women faculty members did a tradition Mongolian-style dance.