欢天喜地

Last Day

Today, the girls woke up all refreshed and excited for our sight-seeing day! After a delicious spread of International Breakfast buffet at the hotel, we headed to the Great Wall of China, one of the seven wonders of the world!

So here we were at Juyong Pass (居庸关). This whole pass stretches more than 20km long. It provides protection to the northwest Beijing.

Here's a group shot before we set off the conquer the flights of Great Wall of China.

Linda Jie Jie, our Chinese tour leader, briefed the group thoroughly on the history of the Great Wall and its origins. Everyone in the team couldn't wait to to explore this wondrous site.  

As we climbed up the flight of steps, we took breaks not only catch our breaths but also to enjoy the majestic view of the beautiful terrain and mountains.  

'Are we there yet?' 

'Are we there yet?' 

 ‘Yea! We did it!'

It was a challenging feat but the whole group, including the teachers, conquered almost a thousand flight of steps. According to the girls, it was 747 steps to be exact!

There is a Chinese saying that says '不到长城非好汉' 

One who fails to reach the Great Wall is not a hero.

So here we are, presenting to you all our lovely heroines!

Don't be fooled by the girls. Coming down the hundreds of steps is never easy too! But it was definitely a happy and relieved moment!

Celebrating our  feat with a lovely fellow climber from Russia.

After lunch, we returned back to the city, for our shopping street and XingHua Bookshop and Silk Street.

 Our happy girls with their new bought 'friend'.

It has been a wonderful and eye-opening experience for all of us and we are all thankful to have a chance to be involved in this Dance Programme. We can't wait to be back and share with everyone else what a great trip it has been. 
For now, rest well and we will meet again when school reopens. Happy holiday! 

Day 4 - Monday 30 May 2011

The day began at the Beijing Dance Academy. We were there to view the practice sessions of the dance students as well as for our girls to be trained in some dance techniques.

Watching the students during their rigorous and inspriring practice of the Han Dynasty dance.

After watching the dance practice, our girls had the chance to be coached by these students on some basic cultural dance skills. Our girls really enjoyed themselves and benefitted from the one and a half hour long coaching and interaction session.

Our girls with their young student teachers.

A token of appreciation for the Head of the Dance Department at the Beijing Dance Competition.

Group photograph of the dance students and the Singapore pupils at the Beijing Dance Academy.

After lunch, our pupils continued with their training session with a dance instructor, focusing on the finer points of hand movements in a dance.

A certificate of participation was given to each pupil in recognition of her efforts in the dance workshops during the past 3 days. Their hard work had really paid off!

The girls are really looking forward to a day of sight-seeing at the Great Wall of China and shopping at Wang Fujin's Xinghua Bookstore and Xiu Shui Street tomorrow before they head back home at midnight!

The day started very early at 5.30 am, with the teachers getting the girls ready for the Beijing International Youth Chinese Dance Competition.

The teachers had to help the girls in applying their make-up and tying up their hair into neat buns in order to look their best when they performed on stage.

After a quick breakfast, we were off to the Beijing School of Music and Dance for the competition. When we arrived, we joined the other participants in the dry run. Here we are on stage at the end of the dry run.

Our girls were in the Group category, together with the other 3 schools from Singapore, namely Bukit Panjang Primary, Mayflower Primary and Compassvale Primary and a few other Beijing schools.

Although the competition was very keen, our girls did their very best and put in much effort in the rehearsal and the actual performance.

 

Their hard work all these months paid off as our girls garnered the Gold Award in the competition!

Posing with the rest of the participants after the competition.



 

Posing with our trophy and certificate, together with Ms Theresa Pi, our local dance instructor who was invited to be one of the intenational judges for the competition.

 

In the evening, we visited Beijing Huguang Guidl Hall, a small museum with exhibits pertaining to Chinese opera, before going to watch an acrobatic show.

Well done girls, we are indeed very proud of you!



Day 2 - Saturday 28 May 2011

Today we started the first day of our dance programme. We had an early day, waking up at 5.30 am and having our breakfast at 6 am. We had to set off from the hotel at 7 am to get to the Beijing Hai Yun Arts School by 8 am.

The Beijing Hai Yun Arts School is within the military compound and the students here stay in hostels on the premises.

 

Our pupils were treated to a wonderful display of dance skills by 2 groups of dance students from the School. We had the wonderful opportunity to sit in at 2 dance classes.

The first class was on the learning of Ji Ben Gong or Basic Skills incorporated with ballet.

See how poised they are!

Such precision and grace!

The second class was on Ju Mu Xun Lian  or Thematic Dance about Spring.

They really enthralled us with their talent, stamina and not to mention, their serious and committed attitude towards learning.

A token of appreication in the form of our digital art peice to the Head of Department Mdm Luo of the Beijing Hai Yun Dance School for organising the day's dance events.

Group pohotograph with the Head of Department Mdm Luo of the Beijing Hai Yun Dance School and our Chinese Dance Instructor, Mr Zhao.

Another group photograph with one of the sculpture works found on the school premises.

A great lunch treat - McDonald's!

At 2.30 pm, our pupils were given a Mongolian dance lesson on by Ms Li Zhen. She was an excellent teacher, who was able to impart the skills in a very nurturing and efficient way such that our girls were able to grasp them in a very short time.

It was indeed an eye-opening and beneficial day for all of us. The first-hand experience of the rigorous and intensive dance training at the Beijing Hai Yun Arts School, coupled with the training received by the highly talented teacher is indeed invaluable.

We also had a chance to interview 2 dance teachers from the School about its curriculum and programme. They were :

1)     Ms Teng Yue

2)     Ms Li Zhen

A) Students enter at 12 years old and they need to undergo an exam and audition before they are selected.

B) Undergo 5-year programme, from basic to advanced skills on the following  :

1)     Ballet

2)     Ming Jian Wu

3)     Ji Ben Gong

4)     Ju Mu Xun Lian (Theme Dance)

5)     Gu Dian Wu

C) School Prog :

• Lessons are on 51/2 days a week.
• 2 terms per year lasting 5 months per term.
• Holidays are between one to 2 months.

D) Typical Dance Curriculum for each day, interspersed with academic lessons on Maths, Science, History, Geography & Cultural Studies :

6.00 am to 6.30 am	Wake up
6.10 am to 8.00 am	Warming-Up & Breakfast
8.00 am to 9.30 am	1st lesson
9.30 am to 9.50 am	Rest
9.50 am to 11.20 am	2nd lesson
11.20 am to 12.15 pm	Lunch
12.15 pm – 1.30 pm	Rest and Afternoon Siesta
1.30 pm – 2.00 pm	Warming-Up
2.00 pm – 3.30 pm	1st Afternoon Lesson
3.30 pm – 4.30 pm	Rest
4.00 pm – 5.30 pm	2nd Afternoon Lesson
5.30 pm – 7.00 pm	Rest & Dinner
7.00 pm – 8.30 pm	Own Revision/Practice or Night Rehearsal
8.30 pm – 10.00 pm	Own Time
10.00 pm	Lights Out



 

The girls enjoyed every minute of the training and took the lessons very seriously too.