Two dancers from the Ascent Lion Dance Troupe perform a lion dance during the Lunar New Year Show at the University Memorial Center on Feb. 4, 2023. (Isabella Hammond/CU Independent)
Volunteer models, lion dancers, V-pop dancers and singers gathered onstage at the University Memorial Center on Feb. 4. Performers from various cultures across Asia celebrated the Lunar New Year in the Glenn Miller Ballroom, surrounded by colorful paper umbrellas and lanterns.
The University of Colorado Boulder’s Vietnamese Student Association (VSA) and the Cultural Events Board hosted the annual Lunar New Year Show for the first time in person since 2020.
“This show has meant nothing more to us, especially after this year, due to COVID-19 [and] being on hiatus. But not only that, the rise in AAPI [Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders] hate crime has been more important than ever,” said VSA President Calee Nguyen, referring to an 89% increase in anti-Asian hate crimes from 2019 to 2021.
Lunar New Year marked the beginning of the lunar calendar based on the moon’s cycles, most often celebrated in East Asia. This new year began on Jan. 22, ushering in the Year of the Rabbit or the Year of the Cat, depending on the culture. The crowd on Friday cheered the loudest for the Year of the Cat in an informal vote led by the co-hosts, Tyler Huynh and Andy Tran.
The event began with a Night Market, where local Asian vendors provided free food and drinks to attendees, while multicultural clubs on campus shared information about their organizations.
“We want to be involved and get to know new people who might be interested in our club. We want to create a community for people at CU in STEM,” said Maggie Zhu, vice president for CU Women of Color in STEM, one of the organizations tabling at the Night Market.
Three lions from the Ascent Lion Dance Troupe perform for the Lunar New Year Show on Feb. 4, 2023. (Isabella Hammond/CU Independent)
Musicians with the Ascent Lion Dance Troupe play traditional music with cymbals, tanggu drum and gong on Feb. 4, 2023. (Isabella Hammond/CU Independent)
The show began at 7 p.m., opening with a performance from the Ascent Lion Dance Troupe. Yellow, red, black and blue lions danced on stage to traditional music with a tanggu drum, cymbals, and gong. The musicians briefly played center stage alone until the lion dancers returned, this time dancing to a mix of pop music from multiple cultures.
After their performance, volunteers took the stage in pairs for a fashion show. The amateur models wore traditional clothing from various cultures across Asia, posing together humorously at center stage.
Two volunteer models showcase traditional clothing during the fashion show performance on Feb. 4, 2023. (Isabella Hammond/CU Independent)
“Man, did they look good,” said Huynh after the show. Tran shouted, “Beautiful!” multiple times in response.
Royals Dance Team closed out the first part of the show with a V-pop dance performance. The group was established in 2018, focusing on hip-hop and pop dance styles across East Asia.
Dancers from the Royals Dance Team perform to Vietnamese song “Waiting For You” by MONO and Onionn. on Feb. 4, 2023. (Isabella Hammond/CU Independent)
Headliners Sarah Kang and RINI then performed a mix of old and new music for the audience. Kang, a Korean-American jazz, pop and R&B singer, performed music from her album “How I Remember” and an unreleased song called “Hopeless Romantic.”
She sang sorrowful ballads while playing her guitar, accompanied by soft piano music. Filipino R&B singer RINI then flipped the mood, playing upbeat songs from his latest album “Ultraviolet.” He encouraged the audience to sit up against the stage and bounce along to the beat of his music.
“I’m glad that he [RINI] was able to come through and get people in the community to come out and get people involved,” said audience member Alex Nguyen.
Members of the audience stuck around after the show, talking with each other about the event and joining a line for an impromptu meet and greet with RINI.
“We hope by having this event and show, we can appreciate the Vietnamese and other AAPI cultures here on campus and share the beauty behind everything,” said Calee Nguyen.
University of Colorado Boulder students and community members line through the University Memorial Center from room 235 to Alfred Packer Restaurant & Grill to enter the Night Market on Feb. 4, 2023. (Isabella Hammond/CU Independent)
Volunteer models meet together center stage during multicultural fashion show on Feb. 4, 2023. (Isabella Hammond/CU Independent)
Royals Dance Team dancers perform to a sped-up version of the Vietnamese pop song "See Tình" by Hoàng Thùy Linh on Feb. 4, 2023. (Isabella Hammond/CU Independent)
Crowd waves camera flashlights at singer Sarah Kang during her performance on Saturday, Feb. 4, 2023. (Isabella Hammond/CU Indepedent)
Artist RINI holds hand with an audience member while performing at Lunar New Year Show on Feb. 4, 2023. (Isabella Hammond/CU Independent)
Vietnamese Student Association President Calee Nguyen thanks the audience and show participants for their contribution to the Lunar New Year Show on Feb. 4, 2023. (Isabella Hammond/CU Independent)
Dancers sit on each other's shoulders during traditional lion dance on Feb. 4, 2023. (Isabella Hammond/CU Independent)
Contact CU Independent News Editor Isabella Hammond at isabella.hammond@colorado.edu.
