中美金齡會

Chinese American Golden Age Association (CAGAA) 2024 Lunar New Year “Intergenerational Inheritance” Celebration

Presentation No.5 and else

Brief intro: The Inheritance of Spring Festival Customs and Lantern Dance

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CAGAA's 2024 Lunar New Year Celebration featured an exciting variety of traditional Chinese performances, one of the most eye-catching ones being the Lantern Dance presented by the Golden Age Dancing Group. The Group is comprised of female seniors living in the Golden Age Village (GAV) who have been performing for more than a decade. Initially, the purpose of the seniors was to enrich their lives and to maintain a healthy lifestyle through dance. However, with the expansion of the dance group and the increase of its members, their approach to activities became more professional and earnest, with the focus on pursuing a higher level of artistic and aesthetic achievement. For the special day of the Lunar New Year, the seniors carefully selected music, consulted professional instructors, and prepared for this three-minute performance on stage with great dedication. On stage, the seniors held lanterns with warm smiles, conveying good wishes for a joyful reunion and a new year. Accompanied by characteristic Chinese folk music, the seniors, dressed in well-designed dance costumes and delicate headdresses, demonstrated their energetic moves as they changed formations, showing their grace and happiness to the audience below. The red lanterns highlighted their rosy cheeks, while their silver hair and traces of age failed to stop their vitality and brightness. The jubilation and delight of the festival flowed in the music, and the energy and spirit of the seniors shone in the dance moves. What is also worth emphasizing is that due to limited funds, each member volunteered to take on multiple roles, handcrafting props and costumes as well as meticulously researching stage styles and make-up. Their hard work and efforts not only added color to their retirement life but also highlighted GAV's community spirit and dedication.

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The performance of the lantern dance not only brings audio-visual pleasure and enjoyment to the audience but also has the important significance of inheriting the tradition. In addition to transmitting knowledge, values, and beliefs, intergenerational inheritance involves the succession and flourishing of traditional Chinese culture, arts, and customs. Through the organization of festivals and cultural events, distinctive performances, costumes, and cuisines are experienced and shared within the overseas Chinese community, thus fostering a sense of common tradition and identity among the generations. CAGAA's Lunar New Year celebrations are dedicated to contributing to this important process of cultural inheritance. Whether it is the beautiful and melodious performance of traditional musical instruments (including the Guzheng and Hulusi) by Mr. Zuyao Liu, the spectacular Peking Opera performance (Mu Guiying Takes Command) by the US Youth Peking Opera Art Troupe, or the lively lion dance performance by the Shaolin Martial Arts Academy, they all focused on demonstrating the profundity and longevity of the Chinese cultural traditions, as well as the vibrancy and richness of the cultural life of the overseas Chinese people. Additionally, diversity and community inclusion are also important themes of the Lunar New Year Celebration. Performers and viewers of all races, ages, and professional backgrounds came together on such a special day to celebrate Chinese culture with great appreciation and gratitude.

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The 2024 Lunar New Year celebration organized by CAGAA provided both a stage for GAV seniors to express their vitality and for multi-talented overseas Chinese artists to share their cultural performances. By actively participating in these endeavors and utilizing the generous donations from people from all walks of life around the world, CAGAA and the GAV community contribute to the vibrant preservation and promotion of outstanding Chinese cultural heritage, creating a warm feeling of connection, strengthening emotional ties within the community, as well as building a strong sense of continuity across generations and geographic distances on a winter night in Los Angeles.