Chinese and expatriate school children mix cultures, make friends at arts fest
June 25, 2011, Saturday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
WHEN Chinese kids and their overseas counterparts met in Huacao town of Minhang District, they found that language was no barrier. Well, kids are like that! They managed to play folk games, stage performances, show off their handicrafts and make friends even where words failed them.
The first Arts Festival of Chinese and International Schools, which took place recently, involved students and faculty from more than 10 Chinese schools and kindergartens and four international schools. It's theme was "friendship, joy, exchange and progress."
Huacao was the perfect spot to host the event. The town boasts the largest number of international schools in Minhang. It is home to the Shanghai British International School, the Shanghai Singapore International School, the Shanghai American School and the Shanghai Korean School.
Shanghai children performed diabolo tricks and a bamboo pole dance outside the Culture and Sports Center, where the festival was staged. Children from the international schools eagerly gave it a try, even if their diabolo sticks fell to the ground or they were pinched by a bamboo pole. Well, kids are like that!
"I think the diabolo is very skillful and fun, and the festival is amazing," said 16-year-old He Huiru, a student from the Shanghai Singapore International School.
On center stage, a diversified range of cultural performances blended East and West. They included the "Arab's Night" dance, the modern fairy tale drama "Our Home," a musical rendition of "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," a poetry recital of "We are Together," a snippet of the Shanghai opera "Huacao in the Spring," a martial arts performance of "Wind Chaser" and the shadow play "Tiger-fighting Hero."
It took about one month for the 10-plus students from the Jiwang School to prepare their musical presentation of "Jasmine," which lasted only about four minutes.
Yang Ping, instructor for the show, said the musical instruments used in the program were made of porcelain. "The flutes, bianzhong (bronze bell chime) and erhu (Chinese two-string fiddle) that we used are all made of porcelain from Jingdezhen, and we must be careful while moving these instruments in case they are broken," he said.
Jingdezhen in Jiangxi Province is called the "Porcelain Capital of China."
Jiwang School drew its program from the extracurricular classes it offers in pottery craft and porcelain music.
The festival also allowed students to exhibit their own works of batik, straw art, pottery-making, paper cuts and embroidery.
Embroidery pieces made by students of the Zhudi School featured patterns of the beautiful campus of the school, the booming development of Huacao, bullet trains and rabbits.
For students of the Zhudi Central Kindergarten, common straw was elevated into a refined art. They meticulously and imaginatively turned straw into subtle vases, chairs and houses.
Meanwhile, students at the Jiwang School were busy showing off their ceramic works. With mud on their hands and even faces, they showed festival goers how it was done.
"See, my vase is taking shape!" a girl shouted excitedly, much to the delight of onlookers.
Children from the Huacao Central Kindergarten presented an exhibition entitled "eco-friendly DIY," hoping to raise the awareness of environmental protection. They crafted trees, bridges, cars and buildings with recycled paper, milk cans and bottle caps.
"The works showcase the bustling development of the region where the kids live, such as the construction of the Hongqiao transport hub," said Cheng Meihua, a teacher of the kindergarten. "They told me they hoped to make the region a big green lung."
One adult visitor at the festival marveled, "I was enchanted by the children's creativity."
With nimble hands, children from the Huacao Primary School were demonstrating how to make things from ultra-light clay. They proudly displayed a flower pot with blossoms, a photo frame decorated with bears, a swimming pool, a cake, a vase and even angry birds. All of the works featured a rich splash of color.
"I presented my works, like the angry birds, to my friends as gifts and they like my creation very much," one youngster proudly said.
Expatriate children gave a thumbs-up to the fiesta.
"I am happy and I think the event is fun and exciting," said eight-year-old Jane Riley, a student at the British International School. She said it was the first time she had ever seen Chinese crafts and performances up close.
The gala event concluded with a chorus of "Sing with a Smile," happily performed ensemble by Chinese and expatriate students.
Well, kids are like that!
The first Arts Festival of Chinese and International Schools, which took place recently, involved students and faculty from more than 10 Chinese schools and kindergartens and four international schools. It's theme was "friendship, joy, exchange and progress."
Huacao was the perfect spot to host the event. The town boasts the largest number of international schools in Minhang. It is home to the Shanghai British International School, the Shanghai Singapore International School, the Shanghai American School and the Shanghai Korean School.
Shanghai children performed diabolo tricks and a bamboo pole dance outside the Culture and Sports Center, where the festival was staged. Children from the international schools eagerly gave it a try, even if their diabolo sticks fell to the ground or they were pinched by a bamboo pole. Well, kids are like that!
"I think the diabolo is very skillful and fun, and the festival is amazing," said 16-year-old He Huiru, a student from the Shanghai Singapore International School.
On center stage, a diversified range of cultural performances blended East and West. They included the "Arab's Night" dance, the modern fairy tale drama "Our Home," a musical rendition of "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," a poetry recital of "We are Together," a snippet of the Shanghai opera "Huacao in the Spring," a martial arts performance of "Wind Chaser" and the shadow play "Tiger-fighting Hero."
It took about one month for the 10-plus students from the Jiwang School to prepare their musical presentation of "Jasmine," which lasted only about four minutes.
Yang Ping, instructor for the show, said the musical instruments used in the program were made of porcelain. "The flutes, bianzhong (bronze bell chime) and erhu (Chinese two-string fiddle) that we used are all made of porcelain from Jingdezhen, and we must be careful while moving these instruments in case they are broken," he said.
Jingdezhen in Jiangxi Province is called the "Porcelain Capital of China."
Jiwang School drew its program from the extracurricular classes it offers in pottery craft and porcelain music.
The festival also allowed students to exhibit their own works of batik, straw art, pottery-making, paper cuts and embroidery.
Embroidery pieces made by students of the Zhudi School featured patterns of the beautiful campus of the school, the booming development of Huacao, bullet trains and rabbits.
For students of the Zhudi Central Kindergarten, common straw was elevated into a refined art. They meticulously and imaginatively turned straw into subtle vases, chairs and houses.
Meanwhile, students at the Jiwang School were busy showing off their ceramic works. With mud on their hands and even faces, they showed festival goers how it was done.
"See, my vase is taking shape!" a girl shouted excitedly, much to the delight of onlookers.
Children from the Huacao Central Kindergarten presented an exhibition entitled "eco-friendly DIY," hoping to raise the awareness of environmental protection. They crafted trees, bridges, cars and buildings with recycled paper, milk cans and bottle caps.
"The works showcase the bustling development of the region where the kids live, such as the construction of the Hongqiao transport hub," said Cheng Meihua, a teacher of the kindergarten. "They told me they hoped to make the region a big green lung."
One adult visitor at the festival marveled, "I was enchanted by the children's creativity."
With nimble hands, children from the Huacao Primary School were demonstrating how to make things from ultra-light clay. They proudly displayed a flower pot with blossoms, a photo frame decorated with bears, a swimming pool, a cake, a vase and even angry birds. All of the works featured a rich splash of color.
"I presented my works, like the angry birds, to my friends as gifts and they like my creation very much," one youngster proudly said.
Expatriate children gave a thumbs-up to the fiesta.
"I am happy and I think the event is fun and exciting," said eight-year-old Jane Riley, a student at the British International School. She said it was the first time she had ever seen Chinese crafts and performances up close.
The gala event concluded with a chorus of "Sing with a Smile," happily performed ensemble by Chinese and expatriate students.
Well, kids are like that!
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