2018 Saskatoon Chinese New Year Celebration Gala

On February 17, 2018, the Confucius Institute at the University of Saskatchewan (U of S CI) and Federation of Saskatoon Chinese Canadian Organizations (FSCCO) co-organized the “2018 Saskatoon Chinese New Year Celebration Gala” at TCU Place, Saskatoon. More than 1,000 performers and audience took part in this event.

At the very start of the gala, the 2018 Documentary of the U of S CI was displayed on the large screen, depicting the missions, achievements and goals of the U of S CI. Then came the opening remarks by the distinguished guests: Mr. Zhenting Gao, the Deputy Consul General of the Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China in Calgary; Mr. Kevin Waugh, Member of Parliament for Saskatoon Grasswood; Mr. Gordon Wyant, the Deputy Premier and Minister of Education, Government of Saskatchewan; Ms. Bev Dubois, Member of Saskatoon Parliament representing Mayor Mr. Chalie Clark; Peter Stoicheff, the President of the University of Saskatchewan; and Ms. Jing Yang, the Vice President of Respon International Group.

 

The Cocktail and Reception started around 5:30pm and lasted until 6:30pm. The Banquet started around 6:30pm and lasted until 8:00pm. The performance started at around 8:00pm, encompassing various artistic styles such as Chinese dance, lion and dragon dance, panda dance, singing, magic, Chinese martial arts, and so on. The U of S CI brought to the gala three performances.

The first performance by the U of S CI was “Dance with the Lion”, a combination of lion dance, panda dance, taichi fan, and modern dance.

                                                                                                                                                                                                            

The second performance by the U of S CI was a Chinese chorus “You exist in my song”. The U of S CI Canadian students displayed not only their talent in singing but also their Chinese proficiency.

 

The third performance by the U of S CI was a Chinese dance named “Spring Ballet”. Performers from the U of S CI Dance Group brought the gala to climax with their elegant steps and the beautiful costumes.

 

Apart from the performances by the U of S CI, there were performances brought by the Chinese Dance School of Saskatchewan, the Chinese Language School of Saskatoon, the Chinese Students and Scholars Association at the U of S, and the Chinese Martial Arts Academy.