 Love of China School of Dance
Just when you thought the holidays were over.
Chinese New Year kicked off this past Monday, and while the celebration is technically a 15-day long extravaganza, Chinatown Center in North Austin is making the most out of it with a two-day condensed version on Saturday, January 31 and Sunday, February 1. This is Chintatown’s third Chinese New Year festival since opening in 2006. According to the lunar calendar, this is the Year of the Ox, which traditionally symbolizes independence, stubbornness, maturity, and hard work. Yep, sounds like Austin to us.
A wide range of Asian cultures are represented, including Chinese, Korean, Japanese, and even Hawaiian. “It’s supposed to be welcoming,” says Cindy Lo, president and owner of Red Velvet Events, the exclusive planner for Chinatown Center’s special events. “We are in a melting pot in the U.S. and that’s why we purposely try and find different cultures to try and showcase them.”
Saturday’s festivities are from 11am-5pm; Sunday is from noon to 4pm. Both days kick off with dazzling performers from the Texas Dragon and Lion Dance Team. Saturday will feature a smorgasbord of local acts including dancing from Hawaiian Kona Isle, folks from Fountain of Praise (Austin Chinese Church), Japanese drumming in the form of Austin Taiko, and a martial arts demonstration.
Those who have the potential to steal the show are the young’uns from Love of China School of Dance who close Saturday’s festivities. Ranging in ages from 4-18, these talented students will perform traditional Chinese dances while all costumed up. In addition to performing at the Chinatown Chinese New Year celebration, they will also perform at One World Theatre that same day at noon.
On Sunday, firecrackers will be set off to upheld the tradition that the loud noise will scare away the evil spirits the new year might bring. Following are appearances from the April Rain School of Chinese Dance and the Taoist Tai Chi Society getting, well, getting their Chi on. Austin Fire Department will also be on hand with the big red truck and a presentation on fire safety.
 Hawaiian Kona Dancers Oh, and there will be a lot of great food.
“It really is an open event. You will find so many people that come to this that are from all walks of life in Austin. It’s not just for the Asian community, it is for all of the Austin community,” says Lo.
So before going crazy with massive amounts of frozen food, Budweiser, and team spirit in lieu of Super Bowl madness, be sure to check this all out. Never fear sports fans, they’ll get you home before kickoff.
Chinatown Center is located at 10901 N Lamar Blvd (at the the intersection of Kramer and N. Lamar). Admission for performances is free and the kids area activities range from $1-$5. Parking is free. See the full schedule here.
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