It is now the Year of the Tiger, which means that it’s time for social upheaval and erratic changes. Last night was also time for the Chinese Students Club’s annual Lunar Gala. Cecilia Chen, CC ’12, shares her experience of the festive evening.

This year’s Lunar Gala featured an art show and a fashion show, though perhaps the highlight of the night was a cultural showcase involving music, dance, and some delightful shadow puppetry.

Crowd-pleasers included a Chinese yo-yo act and an impressive performance by Raw Elementz. A favorite act was the Lion Dance, with its ethnic dancing and adorable rolls on the ground. The culture show ended with a guest performance from the critically acclaimed Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company, which was sparse and beautiful and delicate but also very long.

This was followed by intermission (during which Bwog witnessed the sale of some succulent-looking egg custard tarts) and a lovely fashion show.

All things considered, it was a thoroughly entertaining night, complete with such bizarre and extraordinary feats as umbrella-dancing and kung fu antics.

Photos by Jin Chen of the Columbia University Photography Society.