Kansas City Mayor Pro Tem Bill Skaggs Joins KC Chinese

Community and Welcomes “Embrace China” Group

Feb. 26th 2010 Bo Lings VIP Reception Highlights

Photo credits: Mike Alvarado Community Faces Photographer

Feb. 27th 2010 Embrace China Performance Highlights

Photo credits: Scott Song

More pictures are coming, please check back …

All-Star Performance Group “Embrace China” 亲情中华

OVERLAND PARK, KANSAS. – “Embrace China”, an All-Star Performance Art Group from China brought traditional Chinese folk songs, dances, ventriloquy to Kansas City at Blue Valley Northwest High School on Saturday Feb 27, 2010. The event was hosted by Kansas City Chinese American Association (KCCAA), KU Confucius Institute, Edgar Snow Memorial Fund, and the Society of Friendship with China. Kansas City Mayor Pro Tem Bill Skaggs and his wife also attended the VIP reception at Bo Lings Chinese Restaurant on Friday Feb. 26. The “Embrace China” is one of the eighteen (18) performance art group organized by the All-China Federation of Oversea Chinese to all over the world. They are nationally famous singer and dancers, who had won many awards domestically and internationally. This event was to convey holiday greetings to oversea Chinese, and introduce Chinese culture to American society. The 800-seat Performance Art Center was packed and the fantastic performances left the audience with many memorable moments.

【堪城中美联合会三月一日讯】由堪城中美联合会（KCCAA）主办，埃德加-斯诺基金，堪萨斯大学孔子学院，对华友好协会协办，以中国侨联安晨为团长的中国侨联“亲情中华” 慰问艺术团二月二十七日晚在大堪萨斯地区奥佛兰公园市举行了慰问演出，与当地侨胞欢聚一堂。

二月二十六日晚，堪萨斯市代理市长Bill Skaggs及 夫人光临于全美十大中餐馆第二的宝翎中餐进行的亲情中华艺术团贵宾招待会。堪城中美联合会主席魏成军先生致欢迎词对艺术团访问堪城表示欢迎。Skaggs市长也致辞对艺术团的到来表示感谢和欢迎，并宣读堪城市长Funkhouser的贺信。艺术团成员现场表演了精彩的节目。招待会在温馨热情的气氛中进行了约三个多小时。

此次慰问演出是中国侨联“亲情中华”海外慰问演出行动的重点项目。从2008年春节开始，中国侨联已经组派了18个艺术团，全国侨联系统共组派了40余个艺术团，赴世界各地进行了200 余场慰问演出，受到广大侨胞和当 地社会的热烈欢迎和广泛好评。此次中国侨联“亲情中华”赴美慰问艺术团由中国煤矿文工团担纲组派，还包括来自中国民族歌舞团的艺术家，他们当中既有王洁 实、肉孜，阿木提、玛依拉等国内一流艺术家，也有曾静、左炜、等近年在国际国内大赛中脱颖而出的艺术界后起之秀。堪萨斯站是此次中国侨联“亲情中华”赴美 国慰问艺术团的第六场演出。

演出当晚，观众们带着家人和朋友早 早来到现场。晚会从七点左右正式开始，艺术团团长安晨在开幕致辞中代表中国侨联和中国侨联林军主席向各位侨胞和乡亲们问好、拜年。他介绍，此行是带着故乡和亲人的问候、亲情和祝福而来，旨在弘扬和传播中华文化，加强对海外侨胞与侨社的服务和联系，增进与世界各国人民的联系和交流。此次慰问演出是一次慰问广大海外侨胞的亲情之旅，是感谢广大海外侨胞心系故乡的感谢之旅，是与广大海外侨胞同庆春节的喜庆之旅，并希望当地侨民在事业和生活上取得更大的成绩，与当地政府和市民保持良好关系，共谋和谐发展，在自身事业发展的同时也为当地社会的发展做出更大贡献。800个座位的剧场张灯结彩，座无虚席。演出持续了150多分钟，精彩节目包括歌舞、杂技、魔术等等，整场演出高潮不断、掌声阵阵。艺术家们不仅在舞台上载歌载舞，他们还来到观众中间与大家一起同乐，有些观众还被邀请走上舞台与艺术家们一起表演节目，晚会气氛HIGH到了顶 点。艺术家们用他们美妙的歌声、精彩的舞蹈为侨胞们带来了一台欢乐祥和的、精彩纷呈的文化盛宴，大家度过了一个难忘的夜晚。

堪萨斯市共有 各类侨社十余个，侨胞达 近两万人。此次慰问演出由堪城中美联合会主办，埃德加-斯诺基金，堪萨斯大学孔子学院，对华友好协会协办。

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To celebrate 2010 Chinese New Year, sponsored by All-Federation of China for Overseas Chinese, “Embrace China” Performance Arts Group is planning on a series of performances in the cities like New York, Detroit, Indianapolis,  Kansas City, etc. All-star cast presents Chinese ventriloquism, magic, acrobats, ballet, Chinese opera, Chinese folk song …

Hosted by KCCAA，co-hosted by KU Confucius Institute，Edgar Snow Memorial Fund, and the Society for Friendship with China, “Embrace China” is coming to Kansas City on Saturday Feb.27. KCCAA is excited to bring the best performance arts group from China and diversified culture to our communities.

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Kansas City Chinese Film Festival – 2nd Week

Time:          10:00 am Saturday March 6

Location:    Overland Park Glenwood Theater

Admission: Free

Discussant: Jie Zhang, Assistant Professor in Linguistics at KU. He has a Ph.D. in linguistics from UCLA and a Bachelor’s degree in Electronic Engineering from Tsinghua University in Beijing and has taught at Harvard University. His research investigates the structures and mental representations of sounds in languages, in particular tone languages like Chinese. He was born in Shanghai, but grew up in Beijing and considers himself a native “Beijinger.”

2010 Kansas City Chinese Film Festival Sponsored by

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