KCCAA 2010 Chinese Visa Service

Latest Status: All visas are ready for pick-up.

Time: Saturday May 8th 2pm – 3pm

Location: 888 Market

More than 100 people were helped with their Chinese visa applications during our 2010 Spring Visa Day on April 3rd inside 888 Market. Normal processing time is about 2 weeks. We will notify all applicants on when to get your Chinese visa back.

Special thanks to our volunteers – Yalu Bao, Zhuna Chang, Li Jing, Matt Kerl, Hong Li, Huaiyu Ren, Jessie Shi.

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Kansas City Mayor Pro Tem Bill Skaggs Joins KC Chinese

Community and Welcomes “Embrace China” Group

VIP Reception & Performance Highlights

Photo credits: Mike Alvarado Community Faces Photographer

Feb. 27th 2010 Embrace China Performance Highlights

Photo credits: Scott Song

All-Star Performance Group “Embrace China” 亲情中华

OVERLAND PARK, KANSAS. – “Embrace China”, an All-Star Performance Art Group from China brought traditional Chinese folk songs, dances, ventriloquy to Kansas City at Blue Valley Northwest High School on Saturday Feb 27, 2010. The event was hosted by Kansas City Chinese American Association (KCCAA), KU Confucius Institute, Edgar Snow Memorial Fund, and the Society of Friendship with China. Kansas City Mayor Pro Tem Bill Skaggs and his wife also attended the VIP reception at Bo Lings Chinese Restaurant on Friday Feb. 26. The “Embrace China” is one of the eighteen (18) performance art group organized by the All-China Federation of Oversea Chinese to all over the world. They are nationally famous singer and dancers, who had won many awards domestically and internationally. This event was to convey holiday greetings to oversea Chinese, and introduce Chinese culture to American society. The 800-seat Performance Art Center was packed and the fantastic performances left the audience with many memorable moments.

Camera: Yunming Wang, photo by Scott Song, edited by David J Wang, Inc

【堪城中美联合会三月一日讯】由堪城中美联合会（KCCAA）主办，埃德加-斯诺基金，堪萨斯大学孔子学院，对华友好协会协办，以中国侨联安晨为团长的中国侨联“亲情中华” 慰问艺术团二月二十七日晚在大堪萨斯地区奥佛兰公园市举行了慰问演出，与当地侨胞欢聚一堂。

二月二十六日晚，堪萨斯市代理市长Bill Skaggs及 夫人光临于全美十大中餐馆第二的宝翎中餐进行的亲情中华艺术团贵宾招待会。堪城中美联合会主席魏成军先生致欢迎词对艺术团访问堪城表示欢迎。Skaggs市长也致辞对艺术团的到来表示感谢和欢迎，并宣读堪城市长Funkhouser的贺信。艺术团成员现场表演了精彩的节目。招待会在温馨热情的气氛中进行了约三个多小时。

此次慰问演出是中国侨联“亲情中华”海外慰问演出行动的重点项目。从2008年春节开始，中国侨联已经组派了18个艺术团，全国侨联系统共组派了40余个艺术团，赴世界各地进行了200 余场慰问演出，受到广大侨胞和当 地社会的热烈欢迎和广泛好评。此次中国侨联“亲情中华”赴美慰问艺术团由中国煤矿文工团担纲组派，还包括来自中国民族歌舞团的艺术家，他们当中既有王洁 实、肉孜，阿木提、玛依拉等国内一流艺术家，也有曾静、左炜、等近年在国际国内大赛中脱颖而出的艺术界后起之秀。堪萨斯站是此次中国侨联“亲情中华”赴美 国慰问艺术团的第六场演出。

演出当晚，观众们带着家人和朋友早 早来到现场。晚会从七点左右正式开始，艺术团团长安晨在开幕致辞中代表中国侨联和中国侨联林军主席向各位侨胞和乡亲们问好、拜年。他介绍，此行是带着故乡和亲人的问候、亲情和祝福而来，旨在弘扬和传播中华文化，加强对海外侨胞与侨社的服务和联系，增进与世界各国人民的联系和交流。此次慰问演出是一次慰问广大海外侨胞的亲情之旅，是感谢广大海外侨胞心系故乡的感谢之旅，是与广大海外侨胞同庆春节的喜庆之旅，并希望当地侨民在事业和生活上取得更大的成绩，与当地政府和市民保持良好关系，共谋和谐发展，在自身事业发展的同时也为当地社会的发展做出更大贡献。800个座位的剧场张灯结彩，座无虚席。演出持续了150多分钟，精彩节目包括歌舞、杂技、魔术等等，整场演出高潮不断、掌声阵阵。艺术家们不仅在舞台上载歌载舞，他们还来到观众中间与大家一起同乐，有些观众还被邀请走上舞台与艺术家们一起表演节目，晚会气氛HIGH到了顶 点。艺术家们用他们美妙的歌声、精彩的舞蹈为侨胞们带来了一台欢乐祥和的、精彩纷呈的文化盛宴，大家度过了一个难忘的夜晚。

堪萨斯市共有 各类侨社十余个，侨胞达 近两万人。此次慰问演出由堪城中美联合会主办，埃德加-斯诺基金，堪萨斯大学孔子学院，对华友好协会协办。

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To celebrate 2010 Chinese New Year, sponsored by All-Federation of China for Overseas Chinese, “Embrace China” Performance Arts Group is planning on a series of performances in the cities like New York, Detroit, Indianapolis, Kansas City, etc. All-star cast presents Chinese ventriloquism, magic, acrobats, ballet, Chinese opera, Chinese folk song …

Hosted by KCCAA，co-hosted by KU Confucius Institute，Edgar Snow Memorial Fund, and the Society for Friendship with China, “Embrace China” is coming to Kansas City on Saturday Feb.27. KCCAA is excited to bring the best performance arts group from China and diversified culture to our communities.

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2010  KCCAA Chinese New Year Celebration at JCCC

Video edited by David J Wang Inc. cyqiowa@yahoo.com

Camera: William Fambrough
Edit: David J Wang, Inc.

On Saturday February 6, 2010, the Kansas City Chinese American Association (KCCAA) held the (3rd) Annual Chinese New Year’s Celebration at Yardley Hall located on the campus of Johnson County Community College.  All 1,350 seats were sold out two weeks prior to the event … Audience was captivated by 3-hour long performance made possible by over 200 performers showcasing Chinese Culture. KCCAA President CJ Wei and KU Confucius Institute Executive Director Sheree Willis were the hosts for the evening. They introduced a diverse set of acts which encompassed everything from a famous New York Magician, string quartet, ballet, martial arts, to Chinese Operas.

For 200 VIP guests at Nerman Museum, the festivities began two hours before the New Year’s Celebration at VIP Reception.  Consul General Huang Ping from the Consulate General Office of the People’s Republic of China in Chicago was the guest of honor for the Reception. At the Reception. KCCAA expressed sincere appreciation to those who have supported and contributed to the growth and expansion of KCCAA over the years. The VIP guests included prominent members from Black & Veatch, Waddell and Reed, Edgar Snow Memorial Fund, KU Confucius Institute, General Electric (GE), American Century, Johnson County Community College(JCCC), the Society for Friendship with China, local government officials, other ethnic groups representatives, and many Kansas City community activists. Bolings Chinese Restaurant donated their beautifully prepared authentic Chinese cuisine for the reception.

At 7pm, the show started off with the invigorating lion dance and the rumbling KC Chinese Drum Rollers’ Happy Harvest. The next performances involved many children of KCCAA members performing traditional Chinese songs, dances, and martial arts. This was a common theme of the night, since there were over 120 child performers at the celebration.  The Legacy School of Arts performed a ballet which was styled after Chinese culture. New York Magician, Peng Li performed the ancient dramatic art of mask switching (变脸) associated with the Sichuan Opera.  American students from the Confucius Institute of the University of Kansas demonstrated their study of the Chinese language by performing a Chinese Song.  Steve Kinsella performed a comedy routine titled “Prank Call”. He impressed many with his comedic gift, as well as, his ability to speak Chinese. Two female vocal soloists performed throughout the night. They used beautiful voices and diverse vocal range to captivate the audience. The string quartet made up of high school students, performed a beautiful rendition of the Chinese pop song titled “The Song we Share”. Lily Zhang performed a Chinese dance. Her graceful movements and her artistic abilities reached the climax as she finished a bamboo painting while dancing. The show concluded with full choir performing “Going back to Mother’s Home” and “The Field of Hope”.

At the New Year’s Celebration, the KCCAA introduced the recently built KC Friendship School in Shaanxi Province China to the audience. The KC Friendship School was built in relief efforts for the earthquake that hit Sichuan, Gansu, and Shaanxi provinces in May of 2008. KCCAA President CJ Wei shared school construction status, and praise for the outstanding job done by the Chairperson of the KC Friendship School Project Committee Fred Jiang from Waddell & Reed.  Black & Veatch Chairman, President and CEO Len Rodman expressed his company’s continuous support to KCCAA and its mission by donating computers to the Friendship School’s computer lab, and $5,000 to KCCAA for education needs.  Executive Director Sheree Willis from KU Confucius Institute outlined the institute’s plan to continue and expand the current KC Friendship School Project through sister schools in KC and China.

At the end of the presentation, KCCAA gave “2009 Outstanding Volunteer Award” to three local high school students Yuqi Hou, Edward Jiang, and Andy Yu, who contributed greatly to the Friendship school project by donating their time, money, and effort to help bring funds and supplies to the school during their week-long visit to KC Friendship School. The president CJ Wei took the stage and announced that the organization would take on the new name “Kansas City Chinese American Association” (KCAAA) beginning on Feb. 7, 2010.

The night was a tremendous success and all in attendance left in joyous spirits. The night was full of rich Chinese Culture and was a great community building event. The KCCAA is looking forward to putting on this exciting event for everyone once again in 2011.

Photo credits: Huaiyu Ren. For original picture, email contact: huaiyur@hotmail.com

Photo credits: Angie Jennings. For original picture, email contact: angiejennings@yahoo.com

Photo credits: Scott Song. For original pictures, email contact: cyqkansas1@gmail.com

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