Chinese cultural performance Friday in Arlington Heights

To celebrate what they have learned in their Mandarin classes, students from three area school districts are coming together Friday for their first Chinese Student Cultural Performance. The 70-minute show will be 7 p.m. Nov. 8 in South Middle School’s Multi-Purpose Room, 400 S. Highland Ave., Arlington Heights.

Northwest Suburban High School District 214, Palatine-Schaumburg High School District 211, and Arlington Heights Elementary School District 25 students will perform a variety of dances, including the lion and dragon dances, songs, kung fu, tai chi, yo-yo, poems, skits, and more. Additionally, there will be a special martial arts demonstration called Shaolin kung fu by Master Zhiqiang Si, a teacher at the Bei Dou Shao Lin Kung Fu Academy in Palatine.

Mandarin Chinese is taught in each school district, and this show is an opportunity to expose others to the Chinese language and culture, according to George Kang, the show’s organizer and a Mandarin teacher at Prospect and Rolling Meadows high schools.

“This show will not only showcase what our students have learned, but it will promote the Chinese culture to community members and future Mandarin learners in a more relaxed atmosphere,” Kang said.

Student performers are from Thomas and South middle schools, and from Buffalo Grove, Conant, Hersey, Prospect, Rolling Meadows and Schaumburg high schools. This is the fourth year Mandarin has been taught in District 211, fifth year in District 214 and seventh year in District 25.

The free event is open to the public. For information, contact Mandarin teachers Aiyu (Iris) Zhang at azhang@sd25.orglchan@d211.org;mailto:lchan@d211.org[/URL], or George Kang at ">george.kang@d214.org