Chinese New Year, also known as Lunar New Year or the Spring Festival, falls on Feb. 17 this year.
In celebration of the upcoming Year of the Horse — a symbol of fiery energy, adventure, vitality and forward momentum — the Chinese Community Center hosted a gala Feb. 8 featuring vibrant cultural performances.
«We want to share the joy, our heritage and the richness of Chinese culture through various forms of performing arts, including traditional dance, music, martial arts and choral performances,» said Lily Wei, media director of the CCC.
The gala brought together performers of different ages and backgrounds, each with their own connection to Chinese culture.
Ryan Hale, a University at Albany graduate this year and a YouTuber, was one of the gala’s hosts. He began learning Chinese seven years ago; at that time, he was playing a video game with Chinese teammates and wanted to communicate with them. One of the first phrases he learned was «let’s go.»
«I’m amazed by the diversity of Chinese culture across different provinces and cities,» said Hale, who was born in 1999, the Year of the Rabbit. «Seeing the different performances really shows how vast Chinese culture is and how much it has to offer.»
Others have spent decades immersed in the traditions showcased at the gala. Sandra Balint, head of Tai Chi Fan and Sword Club of the CCC, performed with her students. She began studying Tai Chi in the 1990s with Chinese master Jiang Jianye, a Shandong native who later opened a studio in Albany.