NEW YORK—Last week's snow storm closed schools but couldn't deter thousands of students from over 70 schools in the tri-state area from getting an up close look at Chinese culture and its meanings at Radio City Music Hall last Friday. Students and chaperones attended a special reduced priced matinee of the Chinese New Year Spectacular.
"We enjoyed it fully! We loved everything." said Elsa Sanabia, an art teacher from P/IS 218 in the Bronx. Sanabia said during the show her students excitedly pointed to the backdrops that looked like traditional Chinese paintings. Students from the Bronx school got their seats upgraded thanks to help of show sponsor the Daily News and Cablevision.
Family School 32 in Yonkers was the only school that couldn't make it. While driving on snowing streets on their way to Radio City, their bus was in a car accident. Students had to be checked out at the hospital, but there are no reported injuries. Their tickets had been fully paid for by their sponsor Cablevision.
For students and schools who couldn't get corporate sponsors, ticket prices were reduced from a $38-$180 range to a $15-$35 range.
The Chinese New Year Spectacular elegantly puts Chinese culture on display, with performances highlighting China's different cultural regions, like the rousing dance "Herding on the Mongolian Plains," and China's different spiritual traditions, like the old Buddhist tale "The Monk Who Endured."
The Chinese television station putting on the show, New Tang Dynasty (NTDTV), is also providing free teacher workshops and teaching lessons revolving around Chinese culture, history and art. Lessons include painting Chinese characters, eating traditional Chinese cuisine and learn about historical figures that span China's 5,000-year history.
Many teachers say that they have been using the lessons to teach their students leading up to the Chinese New Year last Sunday, Feb. 18—the traditional holiday falls on a different day each year based on China's lunar calendar.
"The general reaction is great, they loved the show, there is a lot of interest," said NTDTV's Educational Outreach Director Tim Sun, who said they will definitely be hold a student matinee next year.
The Epoch Times is proud to join with New Tang Dynasty TV and Sound of Hope Radio in co-sponsoring NTDTV's Chinese New Year Spectacular ( http://shows.ntdtv.com. )
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