New Year Kicked-Off with Star-Studded Performances

The start of the week long holiday was kicked-off by last Thursday’s annual Chinese New Year assembly. Led by the Chinese department, students and teachers came together to coordinate a spectacular series of performances that featured the diverse talents of Sha Tin College students and staff. Mr. Morris welcomed everyone with his classic Chinese greetings, wishing students and staff a happy and prosperous new year.

This year’s performances kept the audience thoroughly captivated: a Chinese orchestra conducted by Mr. Travers, composed of students from varying year groups; an innovative bilingual poem about the sentiments of hope during times of hardship, written and delivered by four Year 9 students; two folk dances and an opera that encapsulated the traditional Chinese culture with a flurry of colours; an impressive nunchaku performance from staff members who handled the challenge with good-humour and enthusiasm.

Of the many talents showcased throughout the assembly, there were a few which particularly impressed the student body.

A group of martial artists displayed their proficiency in their respective fighting styles. Jin Chan wielded a “straight sword” (剑; jián), and displayed a remarkable sequence of movements. Performing the “stick” (棍; gùn) technique were Duncan Ma and Gem Sung, who demonstrated the rigorous approach of the sport through multiple rounds of mock sparring. Nicholas Au and James Young were confident and precise in their noteworthy exhibit of the “broad sword” (刀; dāo) style.

Taking the stage with a high-energy Kung Fu performance was Wushu star Lydia Sham. As a member of the Hong Kong Wushu team, Lydia has been featured in the Young Post for her prowess in martial arts. Clad in traditional wushu uniform, Lydia stunned the crowd with a combination of awe-inducing moves.

Lydia delivers her striking performance. Photo: Joshua Lee

Performing “安静”, “Peace”; and “海阔天空”, “Boundless Oceans, Vast Skies” was a band of talented Year 12 students. The Cantonese performance proved to be a hit as the highly-enthused crowd waved their torches to the beat. The outstanding vocals, combined with great response from the crowd made for a rather thrilling performance, one definitely worthy of re-watching.

A special highlight was the staff performance which further enlivened the assembly with their spectacularly skilled nunchaku act. “You need strength, good coordination, attention, and concentration,” said Ms. Paraschivescu, one of the teachers involved. “I enjoyed performing in the assembly – [it] shows another side of us teachers, and proves that you can always learn new things.”

Teachers show off their moves on stage. Photo: Joshua Lee

“It has been a truly fantastic experience and I loved every minute of it,” said Mr. David Whalley, ESF Director of Education. “This was an amazing showcase of the talents of all the students here in Sha Tin College, with your singing, dancing, and language, some amazing performances, and also staff with your nunchucks – that’s not easy. It’s something that I shall remember for all my life. I want to thank you for that – it’s been very special for me.”

ESF Director of Education Mr. David Whalley thanks the performers for their work. Photo: Joshua Lee

Thank you and congratulations to all the students and staff members who worked together to create such a memorable performance. Special thanks to Ms. Yang and Mr. Chiu for organising everything with the utmost care, and for dedicating their time to make this assembly possible.

We wish everyone a wonderful year of the Monkey. Kung Hei Fat Choi!

Rachel Sung, 10X1; Melody Leung, 10X1