Lunar New Year Celebrations for the Year of the Ram

Gund Kwok team member Quynh Southard helps to open this morning's performance at Peabody Essex Museum - Image (c) JMcCT, 2015 — Gund Kwok troupe member Quynh Southard of Bedford helped to open this morning’s performance at Peabody Essex Museum in Salem – Image (c) JMcCT, 2015

By Julie McCay Turner

The Year of the Ram was ushered in with great style at a diverse pair of venues today, with Bedford youngsters involved in each.

At Peabody Essex Museum in Salem

” Gund Kwok dancers in the atrium at PEM to celebrate Lunar New Year

Quynh Southard is the youngest member of the Gund Kwok, the only Asian Women Lion & Dragon Dance Troupe in the United States. She performed with the troupe at the Peabody Essex Museum (PEM) in Salem earlier today, helping to open the program as one of two flag bearers.

According to their website, “Gund Kwok, which means heroine in Chinese, symbolizes women’s power and strength. The troupe was established in February of 1998 to give Asian women an opportunity to express their creativity, power and strength through performing the lion and dragon dances.

“The lion and dragon dances are art forms which require martial arts discipline, endurance, flexibility and creativity.” Visit the Gund Kwok website.

The appearance marks Quynh’s second year with Gund Kwok. After watching their 2012 PEM performance, Quynh joined the troupe and now regularly performs with them.

Michael Chen (r) spins the diabolo, or Chinese yo-yo. Image (c) Tina Nappi, 2015

In another PEM performance, Bedford High School student Michael Chen demonstrated his prowess with the diablo, or Chinese yo-yo.

Michael appeared in a performance by the Chinese Folkart Workshop.

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At the Bedford Free Public Library

Calligraphers Shiouh-Lin Chang (l), Ms. Jinyuan Dong and Tifeng Chen - Image (c) JMcCT, 2015 — Calligraphers Shiouh-Lin Chang, Ms. Jinyuan Dong and Tifeng Chang at the library – Image (c) JMcCT, 2015

Children's Librarian Nancy Tegler and student volunteer coordinator Michelle Gong pose with the Library's dragon puppet - Image (c) JMcCT, 2015 — Children’s Librarian Nancy Tegler and student volunteer coordinator Michelle Gong pose with the Library’s dragon puppet – Image (c) JMcCT, 2015

Coordinated by Assistant Children’s Librarian Nancy Tegeler and student volunteers, the library’s Lunar New Year celebration was founded during Sharon McDonald’s tenure. “The first year,” McDonald said, “the celebration was coordinated by adults from the Chinese Community, but it was then handed off to high school students. It was run with such enthusiasm, that kids have signed up to help year after year!” She correctly predicted, “The coordinator often passes from big brother or sister to younger sibling. Early on, the kids asked if all HAD to be from the Chinese Community, and brought their friends on.”

Last year’s coordinator Tess Gong, then a Bedford High School senior, said that the celebration is something she would really miss, and she has passed the leadership role to her sister Michelle, a sophomore this year. Michelle Gong recruited classmates Annie Mortenson, Emma Pulizzi, Caroline Ngooi, Stella Miller, Ava Altmann, Vinny Dee, Savannah En, Valerie Yang-Schmidt, and Camilla Tazzi to help with today’s celebration. For the second year, Zoe Davis entertained the crowd by playing the erhu (Chinese violin).

Adult volunteers include staff person Shiouh-Lin Chang and Ms. Jinyuan Dong who have created bookmarks with attendees’ names in Chinese characters since the very first event. In addition to her skills as a calligrapher, Ms. Dong taught Physics in a Chinese college.