Jan. 17, 2024 By Rachel Butler
The Flushing Town Hall will be ringing in the Lunar New Year with month-long performances by Asian and Asian-American artists beginning on Jan. 27.
The array of performances will cover disciplines such as dance, music and art, as the participants come together to usher in the Year of the Dragon.
The Lunar New Year is a popular celebration in Asian countries and communities across the world and according to the Chinese lunar calendar and zodiac signs, 2024 is the Year of the Dragon.
Ellen Kodadek, the executive and artistic director of Flushing Town Hall, said that she is proud to present the series that celebrates the traditions of the Lunar New Year.
“With over 1 million New Yorkers joining in the Lunar New Year celebrations, Flushing Town Hall stands proud as a catalyst for cultural unity, showcasing traditions that resonate with our local Asian American community, and educating diverse audiences,” she said.
The program will open with the “Remember” art exhibition by Woomin Kim and the immigrant artist collaborative Lily and Honglei.
They will come together to use different fabrics and materials to depict city and market scenes from their home countries while also creating New York scenes to reflect the journey of immigrants to New York.
On Saturday Feb. 10 at 7 p.m., music duo CelloGayageum will take to the stage. Cellist Sol Daniel Kim and Gayageum player Dayoung Yoon will be traveling from Korea to Flushing for the performance.
CelloGayageum was formed in 2016 and the duo’s music consists of traditional South Korean music which recently earned them the title of “Artist of the Year” by the Jeongdong Theater in Seoul.
Tickets for their performance will cost $18 and can be purchased online from the Flushing Town Hall website.
Dance performances by the Nai Ni Chen Dance Company will be colorful and entertaining, with its members presenting “Red Firecrackers” on Sunday Feb. 25 at 3 p.m.
The production will consist of dazzling props, colorful costumes, music, and acrobatics and lively dance by expert performers as they tell the story of the origin of the Chinese Lunar New Year Celebration where a group of villagers, working together, defeated a terrifying monster.
The story aims to bring joy and entertain as well as provide some history and context about the Chinese Lunar New Year.
The performance will also be the closing event for the event series at Flushing Town Hall.
Other performances will include short animation films, family coloring workshops and Glow Cultural Center’s Lunar New Year celebration.
For more information about the program, visit the Flushing Town Hall website.