The scent of melted sugar wafted up to the mezzanine, and the main hall of the Burlington Performing Arts Centre (BPAC) was packed with people ready to celebrate the Lunar New Year with Redleaf Cultural Integration on Saturday.
Many wore red to bring good fortune for 2024 while they tried their hand at Chinese calligraphy, learned about tea ceremonies, or watched the sugar artist paint those delicious-smelling dragons before they were wrapped up and ready for lucky children to enjoy.
Feb. 10 marked not only the beginning of the Year of the Dragon, but also the eleventh Lunar New Year Gala hosted by Redleaf Cultural Integration (RCI). RCI’s Lunar New Year celebration is unique amongst its peers for the free cultural demonstration that comes before the main ticketed event, says RCI founder and Executive Director Lily Hudson.
Mayor Marianne Meed Ward, Wards 2 and 5 Councillors Lisa Kearns and Paul Sharman, respectively, and the City of Burlington’s Manager of Arts and Culture Angela Paparizo enjoyed the cultural display and mingled with the crowd; community sponsors and partners with displays included realtor Betsy Wang, the Rocca Sisters Realty, and Halton Regional Police Service.
RCI’s goal is to help build a welcoming and inclusive community and awareness of cultural diversity, and this event lived up to that mission. RCI volunteers of all ages could be seen chatting with attendees, and smiles were seen on the faces of all.
The ticketed portion of the event started at 3 p.m., with a full schedule of performances, with Ariana Wang and Jason Peng acting as emcees in both Mandarin and English. Dragon dancers from Wayland Li Martial Arts Centre opened the show, and later put on a stunning demonstration of their kung fu prowess. RCI’s own choir, seniors group, Zumba class, and dance group were amongst the performers, showcasing their talents and sense of community.
Katherine Lynn-Rose, a young Chinese-Canadian singer, songwriter, and actor, performed her original song, “Saving Face.” The song describes rising above the expectations and pressures of other people. Katherine Lynn-Rose is definitely one to watch out for in future; not only was she a semi-finalist in season two of Canada’s Got Talent, but she has won a raft of awards and accolades in the last few years for her work (watch our Lunar New Year video, below, to hear part of her performance).
Willa Liu, representing MP Karina Gould, who is currently on parental leave after the birth of her daughter, recognized RCI’s contribution to the community on stage, as did Ward 2 Councillor Lisa Kearns. Xin Yi Zhang, one of Halton District School Board’s Burlington trustees, stood on behalf of the Ontario Trillium Foundation, from whom RCI has received funding.
Musical performances also included a Chinese flute solo from Chunjie Wang, accompanied on the dulcimer by Pingxin Xu, and a guzheng ensemble piece played by Yuan Yin Group. The guzheng is a Chinese plucked zither; watch part of this and the Chinese flute solo in our video, above.
Ryan Brown brought the magic with his disappearing doves and cards that suddenly tripled in size. Soprano Vicky He sang the house down with her soaring rendition of “Beating the Long Drum”; M Dance Studio and Yang Yang Dance Studio also put on show-stopping numbers for the audience (we were quite taken by our toddler aisle-mate who couldn’t help but get up and dance along to the music).
A Mexican dance was performed by the Tonatiuh Mexican Folk Group, offering their own wishes for a happy Lunar New Year by way of swishes of their colourful skirts and hankerchiefs. Finally, the Redleaf Choir was joined by Maple Forest Choir, conductor Lina Li, and pianist Eileen Chan to close the show with their performance of “Lift Up Your Veil,” and “China in the Lights.”
