Join AsianInNY to celebrate Lunar New Year, the Year of Dog, with all the exciting activities in Queens Center Mall. Join us for a day of FREE performance, giveaways ($10,000 total value) and kids interactive area to learn everything about Lunar New Year!

Feb 17, 2018 12:00 PM – 4:00 PM
90-15 Queens Blvd, Elmhurst, NY 11373

Ring in the Year of the Dog at Queens Center Mall’s festive Lunar New Year Celebration on Saturday, Feb 17th, noon to 4PM on Level 2, Center Court. Join us for traditional Asian Cultural Performances, Lion Dance, Tea Tasting, Chinese Dance, Korean Dance, Music, Calligraphy, Paper Folding, Paper Cutting, Chinese Painting, Lantern Making, Photo Booth and FREE tea tasting from Gong Cha…

Enjoy special promotions from participating stores and be one of 200 guests to receive a traditional Lucky Red Envelope with great prizes and gifts inside. There will also be a kids-learning interactive area to get your kids for hands-on experience to learn Paper Cutting, Paper Folding and Lantern Making!

Stage Performance:

Emcee:  The event will be emceed by Jolin Yang.

Jolin holds a M.A. in Performing Arts Administration from New York University, and dual B.A. in Cultural Management and Advertising from Shanghai Jiao Tong University. Jolin creates, produces and hosts a radio interview series named “ Dream New York, Jolin Weekly” at ICN TV Network, though which she invites young professionals from a variety of backgrounds to share experiences, ideas and visions. As a bilingual MC, Jolin works regularly with organizations such as AsianinNY, Sino-American Friendship association, Flushing Town Hall, Brookyn Center for the Performing Arts, and Queens Jazz Overground etc. As a versatile musician, Jolin’s passion for the arts began when she was learning to play piano at the age of three. Jolin is a certified professional piano performer from Shanghai Conservatory of Music.

Lion Dance: New York Hung Sing Kwoon

New York Hung Sing Kwoon (NYHSK) is a Traditional Style Kung Fu school based in Flushing, with focuses on Lion Dance and Choy Lee Fut Kung Fu. Started by Grand Master Simon Li, now managed by Garture Li, NYHSK has been a big part of and advocate for Traditional Chinese Culture in the community. Our performers ranges from young to old and our performances invites the community to indulge in the art of our traditions.

Music Performance: Ba Ban Chinese Music

Founded in 1999, the Ba Ban Chinese Music Society of New York is dedicated to the preservation, creation and presentation of Chinese traditional and contemporary performing arts. Named after an ancient piece of folk music, “Ba Ban” literally means “Eight Beats” which is the structural basis for the grouping of notes in traditional Chinese music. The ensemble includes highly accomplished artists who graduated from the top conservatories in China and have performed in concert halls around the world.

Asian Dance Performance: Ling Tang

Ling Tang is a New York City based dancer, educator, and arts manager. After 15 years of dance training in Wuhan, China, Ling came to the United States in 2002. She has performed at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Harman Center for the Arts, Smithsonian Institute, Chinese Embassy among other venues and festivals. Ling currently teaches through Young Audiences New York and Flushing Town Hall, offering Chinese dance workshops and residencies for K-12 schools. Her teaching credits also include China Institute, Dance St. Louis, Washington Performing Arts, and CACC Folk Dance Troupe which performed at President Obama’s Inauguration in 2013. As an arts manager, Ling worked as a program officer at the Asian Cultural Council. She has consulted and managed various cultural exchange projects in both China and U.S. for Smithsonian Folklife Festival, Guangdong Dance Festival, National Dance Institute, etc. Dance/USA Journal and Dancer Magazine have published her research papers. Ling holds an M.A. in arts administration from Columbia University, and a B.A. in dance and intercultural performing arts from the University of Maryland-College Park.

Martial Arts: Gao’s Kung Fu Academy

Gao’s Kung Fu Academy was founded in 1995 by Master Xian Gao in NYC. Master Gao learned traditional and modern wushu/kung fu from different teachers in his early years while pursuing a martial arts career and in turn, he has taught hundreds to thousands of students over the years. Master Gao has more than 30yrs of experience in film and television in both the US and China. His most known works include the Academy Award winning movie “Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon” and the Danish film “Fighter,” in which he was both a lead actor and choreographer. Currently, he travels to China for work in TV and film. The curriculum at Gao’s Kung Fu Academy is geared towards the mastery of several different styles of traditional Chinese martial arts. Students develop flexibility, speed, coordination, and finally power through basic forms. With the foundation in place, students are then encouraged to express these qualities through the medium of different fighting styles; each incorporating unique movement philosophies. Advanced forms include basic weapons such as short and long staff, spear, broadsword and straight sword.

Korean Dance Performance: JUNG Traditional Korean Dance Academy

Ms. Jung is a director of Traditional Korean Dance Academy and Dance instructor at Bergen County. She also leads a Christian dance troop as a choreographer and performed at New York Encounter in Manhattan Center. She is now working vigorously to teach and promote Korean Dance in America.

Chinese Dance Performance: Ashley Liang Dance Company

Ashley Liang is the President of Ashley Dance Center, the Founder and Artistic Director of Ashley Dance Company, Inc. She is studying at New York University for Master Degree of “Teaching Dance in the Profession”. She got “Excellent Dance Teacher”, “Excellent Choreographer” and “Distinguished Dancer” awards presented by New York City Council and New York Senator in 2016 and 2017. She was the female lead of the drama dance “The Story of YuHuan” presented by Yangtze Repertory Theater of America at off-Broadway for 16 performance in 2014. Her student’s solo dance “Lotus Fairy” got Gold Medal at the American Youth Talent Contest in 2017.

Singing Performance: Pamela J Powell

Pamela J Powell is a talented vocalist and had her first stage performance at age of 3 at the “Little Miss Model” competition in Philippines. Pamela can sing R&B, Pop, Hip Hop, Neo soul and anything! She has participated various live contests including Junior Idol, Miss Teen USA NY and Miss NY USA. She is currently working on her first EP, which will be released soon this year.

Demonstration Stations:

Sarah Wang: Lantern Making

A photographer and curator born in Harbin, China, Sarah grew up in the Bay Area from the age of six. She earned her BA in Art Education from San Francisco State University with an emphasis in drawing and painting as well as a CA Teaching Credential in K-12 Art Education. In 2014, Sarah along with fellow artist, Shaina Yang opened an alternative art space in the Lower East Side, called City Bird Gallery. They offered an experimental space for emerging & professional artists as well as student and community organizations to exhibit their work. Sarah has recently graduated from Parsons, School for Design with her MFA in Photography.

Jenny Chan: Rainbow Scratch Art

Jenny W. Chan is the founder of OrigamiTree.com, a one-stop resource with hundreds of FREE arts and crafts tutorials for children, parents, and teachers. She has collaborated with Good Housekeeping, Post-it® Brand, Paper Source, and has even taught origami to First Lady McCray (mayor’s wife)! She is a YouTube NextUp Winner, and offers crafting tutorials and giveaways regularly on her YouTube channel, home to over 11.9 million viewers. You can watch her videos at YouTube.com/OrigamiTree

Thomson Chou: Chinese Calligraphy

Graduated from the top National Taiwan University, Thomson Chou has studied and performed Chinese calligraphy for more than sixty years. He would like to introduce Chinese traditional calligraphy art and culture to the Main Stream.

Lili Benny: Face Painting

Lily Benny is a textile designer who happens to love face painting. She has a background in fashion design from the Fashion Institute of Technology. While learning fashion art, She was assigned to facepaint at a Sunday school festival. She never knew she had this passion inside of her. Since then, her passion for face/body paint grew and grew.