Charles Yu ’28 performs tricks with a diabolo.
Last Friday night, students gathered in Kemper Auditorium (Kemper) to celebrate the Lunar New Year through the Lunar New Year Talent Show. Organized by the Chinese Language Club, the event featured solo singers, group vocal numbers, instrumental ensembles, comedy, and more. Some performances drew directly from classic Lunar New Year traditions, while others drew on more modern Chinese media.
Chinese-320 students performed an instrumental arrangement of Bai Xin Nian (“Wishing You a Happy New Year”), a song closely associated with Lunar New Year celebrations since 2011. Performer Matthew Wei ’28 reflected on the class’s innovative and collaborative preparation.
“Denys [Tereshchenko ’26] found an online version of one part [of the song], and then he was able to transpose that into every instrument, which is a pretty big job because they go through different keys and rearrange the dynamics and repeats. Denys really helped organize the transposition of the parts [too]…We had two in-class rehearsals at Falls [Music Center]. We all pulled out our instruments and sight-read the pieces. It was very fun to see the diverse range of instruments, from string instruments to the saxophone, to percussion, to piano,” said Wei.
Other acts leaned into contemporary Chinese pop culture. A group from Chinese-420 performed Tiao Lou Ji (“Jumping Machine”), a song by Chinese Mandopop singer LBI that went viral on Chinese TikTok in 2025. Allison Lee ’28 noted that the performance prompted her to recognize her language-learning progress and elaborated on the group’s rehearsal process.
“I could not have sung this when I started out in Chinese last year. So it definitely is a way that I’ve been able to notice my progression, that I’m even able to keep up with the lyrics. I have also noticed some of the grammar and stuff that I’ve learned in class in the lyrics,” said Lee.
Lee continued, “[The group] basically just learned the lyrics independently or in pairs, since we sung parts of the song in pairs… It’s pretty low stakes, so you’re not putting on a polished performance or anything, but the energy is always really good in the room.”
Merson Tang ’29, a performer and Co-MC, presented a Tuo Kou Xiu stand-up comedy routine, a format often featured in traditional Lunar New Year performances. Having practiced Chinese comedy for three years and prepared for the event since the start of the Winter Term, Tang described the experience as both stressful and rewarding.
“I feel like it can be really stressful because everyone’s eyes are watching you. There’s stage anxiety [from] just being under the stagelight. But I feel like with enough preparation, that kind of stress fades… For the comedy draft, I actually worked with one of my friends from music theory class who actually came over here from Shanghai, and we worked together by coming up with the script,” said Tang.
Tang also reflected on his experience as an MC and noted areas for improvement for future events.
“I hosted with someone else, and I feel like we coordinated together really well. We each had our own events, so we had to resolve some conflicts involved in that… [Also,] the mics weren’t really working. So we had to use more of our voices,” said Tang.
Tang continued, “One thing that I may have hoped for was perhaps a little bit more information. The program updated halfway through the show and we didn’t know about it. So, we accidentally made false calls to the audience.”
Audience member Isabel Takeuchi ’29 reflected on the event’s inclusivity.
“Personally, I don’t celebrate Lunar Year, so it was interesting… I think the event was decently diverse as a lot of people, including non-Chinese audience members, came to support their friends that were performing or just to learn more. I was also trying to learn more,” said Takeuchi.
Tang acknowledged the presence of language barriers during the show, but noted that many performances transcended them through music and movement.
“Although there were some language barriers, especially with some non-Chinese speakers during the event, I feel like getting to know the vibe and the rhythm of Chinese culture is also like a really valuable experience. Especially since a lot of the acts were songs and dances. I feel like those really reflect Chinese culture in a way that doesn’t need to be expressed with language,” said Tang.
