Christmas is one of the biggest cultural events in China. The city is decorated in red and green, and you can often see large Christmas trees outside large shopping areas. Music of the season plays in all the stores and coffee shops, and of course, all the merry merchandise can be found at local stores (although the variety is limited).
This is the first year the Canadian International School held a Christmas concert. It was beyond my comprehension that the school was able to rent and decorate that large banquet hall at the Lamborghini Hotel for our performance. This was not going to be your regular Christmas performance in the gymnasium. This was going to be very fancy.
We were given very loose guidelines about what our 3-5 minute class showcase would be. Some teachers teachers had decided on a theatrical performances, while others performed poetry to their artwork which flased on screen. I, on the other hand, I set out to find the perfect Christmas song. Despite my lack of creativity, I imagined my class of 1st and 2nd graders in synchronized danced steps, accompanied with a cute, comical skit to really wow my parents. (I'm not sure how I settled on this, as my singing is not extrodinary and I never was selected on any dance audition in my life). In our music class, my students contributed rhythmic actions, silly and sweet, to help piece together our overall show.
My experience in watching the very talented teachers from KSIS- my previous school in Kunshan - who held grand performances with costumes and fully memorized scripts from kindergarten students helped guide our practices. Now it was my turn to take my class of 16 and make them "Glee"ful.
The day of the concert was a busy one - all the teachers and staff met early to hang decorations that had been carefully selected. The Lamborghini staff had begun stocking the buffet table with Chinese hors dervous. I gulped down my McDonalds Big Mac, then began hanging our personalized "Santa's Silly Elves" on the Christmas tree. Families were already coming and taking a seat, which would mean that our stage rehearsal would get lots of attention.
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| Preparing the welcoming table with student work before families arrived with my two two favorite people! |
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| Taping the stage so my students remember where to stand. They were such good helpers! |
Parents continued to check their children's clothes and offer assistance in our set up. We took many pictures, of course with "scissor fingers" and wide grins. There was a small reaction from families, all positives, as it was the first time they met my husband, the Indian. He definitely stood out in the crowd. Many came out of the way to compliment on how handsome he looked. Kids had a perplexed look, "This is Mr. B?"
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| Chitrak, with my sister Donna. |
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| Anxiously waiting for our performance! |
Like any first-time event, props were lost, kids were scattered, and smiles were everywhere! The accompanied music wasn't loud enough, and students got a little off step, but it only makes them look cuter.
Families enjoyed the ambiance of the venue. A slightly elevated stage, which I marked with electrical tape to help inform students where they should stand, was at the front of the hall. On either side of the room had a buffet table of snacks that attendees could come and enjoy at any time during the perofrmace. In the center of the room, neatly placed chairs were lined in sections, each with a bottled water (which my students took no time in spilling everywhere!)
It was a neat experience, but a lot of sweat and tears went into the making. I'm hoping that next year I plan on a performance with a little less preparation!
Here are some more pictures for your viewing pleasure:
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| Appetizers and comfortable seating. |
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| Decorations were spot on! |
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| I wouldn't let the script out of my hand for fear of not finding it again. |
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| My sixteen babies awaiting their performance. |
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| An introduction given by their teachers on stage. |
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| Lights, camera, action! |
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| All Smiles |
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| My OCD kicking in... |
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| The grand finale was an off-key performance of "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" by the staff of CISK. |
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| Followed by Santa with gifts (of course!). |
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