On February 1, 2012, Hanban/Confucius Institute Headquarters sent Tianjin University art troupe to present two artistic performances for students and teachers in five Confucius Classrooms under Arizona State University Confucius Institute (ASU CI). “The Confucius Institute Grand Spring Festival Gala 2012: The Melody of Harmony-Impression of China” were held at ASU CI’s Confucius Classrooms at Horseshoe Trails Elementary school and Boulder Creek high school. The performance was comprised of 13 acts that give an insight to Chinese culture and traditional folk songs while also adding a blend of western culture through the use of classical American songs and western style suits.

The first performance in the auditorium of Horseshoe Trails Confucius Classroom was introduced by the Principal Janiene Marlow and Principal Nancy Shaver. The audience was filled with students and teachers from two Arizona State University Confucius Institute Confucius classrooms including Horseshoe Trails Elementary and Lone Mountain Elementary. The auditorium was filled with laughter and excitement and the young audience were eager to meet the performer . The performance started with the emergence of three hosts, Liu Jia of Tianjin University, Janice Light and Shasha Li of Horseshoe Trail Confucius Classroom then welcomed the audience and introduced the program in both English and Chinese.

The students were dazzled by the dance paper-cut for Window Decoration, with its lively dance movements and costumes that resembled the traditional Chinese folk art: paper-cutting. The crowd favorite was the Souna solo titled Beating Down the Dates, with its jubilant tone and unique expression of sound. The Souna is a wind instrument that plays a pivotal role in Chinese folk activities. The performance remained interactive with the students when the Chinese host, Liu Jia, taught the students a phrase within the song for them to sing along. Several students were invited onto the stage to participate in the folk art of paper-cutting by creating their own to take home. This performance ended with applauses from more than four hundred people in the audience.

The second performance at Boulder Creek High Confucius Classroom was introduced by Principal Lauren Sheahan of Boulder Creek High at 7 pm. In addition to the acts performed at Horseshoe Trails Elementary, the audience was also amazed by the beauty of Liu Jia’s voice during her solo in Going home to Parents. Her brilliant performance was followed by Looking Towards Hometown which added a traditional undertone to the performance by introducing the audience to folk dancing. In Lift up your Veil, the troupe put their versatility on display by dancing and playing musical instruments in the same act. This act along with Horse Race is representative of different Chinese ethnic minority groups’ vast culture.

Near the end of the show, the martial arts performance was thrilling mixture of skill and acrobatics as the martial artists demonstrated their mastery of themselves and their weapons. Staying in tune to their theme of incorporating western style into their performance, the troupe also performed two English songs: Elijah and Joshua and Journey of Melody, the song that encapsulates their entire performance. Journey of Melody is a compilation of well-known English songs and the well-known Chinese song Jasmine Flower, creating a refreshing blend of English and Chinese music.

As the performance concluded, the Tianjin performance troupe wished the audience a happy Chinese New Year and proceeded to give gifts to the crowd creating an energetic atmosphere. The audience left with a better understanding of the Chinese culture and had a souvenir to remember the Tianjin University performers.