The Alumni Performing Arts Troupe Celebrates the Success of Their Debut Theatrical Performance

Adapted and translated by Jing Sun etc 1 , reviewed by Yongqiu Wang;
Adaptation is based on Rong Chen’s report in Chinese.

The debut performance by The Alumni Performing Arts Troupe (“APAT”) was successfully held at the Richmond Hill Center for Performing Arts on September 25th, 2022, to celebrate the Double Ninth Festival and Thanksgiving. Every song and dance performance invoked great emotion within the audience, and the performers on stage were full of vitality and youthfulness, despite most performers being senior members in their communities. Both the performers and the audience completely emerged in and enjoyed the performance and celebration, and they interacted perfectly with the music and one another. You can refer to all the shows and the performances from the performance program.

Performance Program (Chinese and English )

This debut theatrical performance of APATwas supported by seven arts troupes and more than 80 alumni associations2. Wenbin Ke, the MPP of Ontario,and ZhihuiChen, a Richmond Hill mayoral candidate, sent their recorded videos expressing their good wishes for a successful performance to APAT. The MPPWenbin Ke also watched the performance and took photos with the performers.

APAT is a non-profit organization registered with the federal government of Canada in 2021. Members of APAT are alumni who graduated from universities in China and across the globe, and more than 90% of present members are senior citizens. At present, there are more than 160 members, and the performances include chorus, dance and to name a few. Relying on the alumni community at its inception, it was committed to providing the alumni community with a performing platform to enrich their spare time and to create a solid foundation for their integration into Canadian multicultural life.

APAT first set up its choir on May 28th, 2021 whichhas been skillfully guided and instructed by conductor Yanqiao Wang and music teachers Tian Xu and Jieyin Li. Duringthe past year, withboth in-person and virtual sessionsteaching, Conductor Wang has directedrehearsals for a choir of over 100 members, practisedsongs including Edelweissand The Half Moon Rising. His teaching incorporatedin-depth explanations of the composing background of the songsand the emotions the composers wish to expressin the music in vivid ways.Every member in the choir worked hard and they did a great job, especially conductor Wang (who is over 80 years old). During the Covid-19 pandemic, Mr. Wang offered online classes, and he continued offering teaching in-person after the pandemic with the teaching situation improved.

After over one year’s rehearsal, the singing skills of the choir members has been gradually improved to excellent choirs in the greater Toronto area. Mr. Wang conducted the choir with enthusiasm, and the choir was accompanied with piano by Mr. Li. The choir’s debut performance was brilliant and it has elicited thunderous applauses, cheers, and even gifts from the audience.

In May 2022, APAT also established a dance team at the request of numerous dance lovers. Under the guidance of the instructor, Yang Yang, the dancers performed some modern dances with the music of songs, including Taste from Homeand Mongolian dance Nomadic Time. The audience was attracted by the dancer’s rhymes of storytelling, which invoked their memories of their home towns and their longing for the motherland which is halfway around the earth.

On the same day, APAT had the “Alumni Art Work Exhibition”, where artists exhibited their excellent artwork.

We would like to express our gratitude to all volunteers, including volunteers on and off stage, for the first theatrical performance of APAT in 2022. This extends to volunteers of the art exhibit, student translators, and reporters.

The First debut Theatrical Performance of APAT is a great Success! The success of APAT’s performance owes to all the actors and participants from member associations and organizations, especially the Preparatory Team Members (The following listing of members is listed according to the English alphabetical letters of the alumni associations):

Aiqin Geng, President of the Chengdu University of Technology Alumni Association of Canada
Jiande Feng: President of the China University of Geoscience Alumni Association of Canada
Jun Li: President of the Chongqing University Alumni Association (Canada)
Hanjun Chen: Honorary president of the Fujian Normal University Alumni Association of Canada
Jianguo Li: President of the Shenyang University of Technology Alumni Association of Canada
Jun Chen: President of the Renmin University of China Toronto Alumni Association
Qiang Liu: Honorary president of the Xidian University Alumni Association of Canada

Special Thanks to:

Artistic Director and Conductor:  Yanqiao Wang
Performance Directors:   Aiqin Geng, Xuan Zhu, Tiehong Yi, Gang Ouyang
Preparatory Team Members:     Jianguo Li, Aiqin Geng, Jun Li, Qiang Liu, Hanjun Chen, Jun Chen, Jiande Feng
Stage managers:    Qiang Liu, Yunzhang Chen, Jun Chen
Hosts: Wang Xiaoyan, Xingang Wang, Qiang Liu
Culture and Publicity Team Memebrs: Jun Li, Muer Tie, Jianguo Li, Chen Rong, Jing Sun, Aiqin Geng, Tiehong Yi, Haiwen Li
Music Directors:   Yanqiao Wang, Tian Xu, Jieyin Li,
Hornourably Invited Singers and Musicians: Xin Ding, Xue Bai, Ziwen Qin
Volunteers: Jianguo Li, Hanjun Chen, Jun Li, Jun Chen, Xiuzhen Zhao, Xuan Zhu, Weijia Fan, Xiaoyan Song, Jianlan Wang, Dihui Wang, Jing Sun, Yuexiang Wang, Mingxu Hu, Luoren Zhang, Henrik Li, Bobby Zhao, Min Xie, Yifan Qiu, Qicheng Mi, Ziyu(Jessica) Wang
Volunteer students who participated in parts of translation, collation and proofreading are: Ziyu(Jessica) Wang ,   Nina Wang, Wenyuan Yang, Wenzheng Dong, Crystal Liu , Yizhen(Amy)Sang, Amy Zhu, Christine Xu,

List of alumni associations and other organizations:

  • Toronto Chinese Ai Yue Philharmonic Arts Center
  • The University Alumni Sky Club (UASC)
  • The Sixteen Mile Creek Theatre Troupe
  • Happy Linda Dance Studio
  • The Royal Art Group
  • CCOAA: Canada Chinese Opera Arts Center
  • Fengcai Arts Association
  • Canada Sichuan University Alumni Members
  • China University of Geoscience Alumni Association (Canada)
  • Shenyang University of Technology Alumni Association of Canada
  • Chengdu University of Technology Alumni Association of (Canada)
  • Xidian University Alumni Association of Canada
  • Beihang University Alumni Association in Toronto
  • Xi'an Jiaotong University Alumni Association of Toronto
  • Chongqing University Alumni Association (Canada)
  • Shenyang Aerospace University Alumni Association of North America
  • Canadian Zhejiang University Alumni Association
  • Northwestern Polytechnic University Canadian Alumni Association
  • Canada Alumni Association-General of University of Electronic Science and Technology of China
  • Alumni of West China University Canada Chapter
  • Tianjin Polytechnic University Canadian Alumni Association
  • Huazhong University of Science and Technology Toronto Alumni Association
  • Toronto Qingdao University Alumni Association
  • North University of China Canadian Alumni Association
  • Canadian Alumni Association of Chongqing Normal University
  • Shaanxi Normal University Alumni Association of Canada
  • Anhui University Alumni Canada
  • Qingdao University Alumni Association of Canada
  • Canadian Alumni Association of Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications
  • Beijing Institute of Technology Toronto Alumni Association
  • Northeast Normal University Alumni Association of Canada
  • Southeast University Alumni Association in Toronto
  • Jimei University Alumni Association In Canada
  • Southwest University of Science and Technology Canadian Alumni Association
  • Renmin University of China Toronto Alumni Association
  • Suzhou University of Science and Technology Canada Alumni
  • Changchun University of Technology Toronto Alumni Association
  • Northeastern University Toronto Alumni Association
  • South China Agricultural University Alumni Association
  • Jinan University Toronto Alumni Association
  • Harbin Institute of Technology Alumini Association of Canada
  • Southwest University Alumni Association Canada
  • Lanzhou University Toronto Alumni Association
  • Harbin University of Science and Technology Canadian Alumni Association
  • Sichuan University of Science & Engineering Canadian Alumni Association
  • NLU Toronto Alumni Association
  • Harbin Medical University Overseas Alumni Association
  • Southwestern University of Finance and Economics Alumni of Canada
  • Toronto Alumni Association of Xi'an International Studies University
  • Fuzhou University Alumni Association of Canada
  • The University of Science and Technology Beijing - Canadian Alumni Association
  • Shandong University Toronto Alumni Association
  • Hehai University Toronto Alumni Association
  • Canada Alumni Association of Shanxi University of Finance and Economics
  • Chongqing Jiaotong University Alumni Association of North America
  • Shenyang Agricultural University Canadian Alumni Association
  • Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics Alumni Association in Toronto
  • Shenzhen University Alumni Association of Ontario (SZUAO)
  • Nankai Alumni Association of Toront
  • Canadian Alumni Association of University of Science and Technology of China
  • Beijing Normal University Alumni Association
  • OCTU Canadian Alumni Association
  • Sichuan Normal University North American Alumni Association
  • Xi'an University of Technology North America Alumni Association
  • North America Alumni Association of Liaoning University of Technology
  • Sun Yat-sen University Toronto Alumni Association
  • Fujian Normal University Alumni Association of Canada
  • Hunan University Toronto Alumni Association
  • Minjiang University Alumni Association of Canada
  • Fudan University Toronto Alumni Association
  • Southwest University of Political Science and Law Canadian Alumni Association
  • Soochow University Alumni Association of Canada
  • Nanjing University Greater Toronto Area Alumni Association
  • Beijing Forestry University Alumni Association of Canada
  • Shenyang Pharmaceutical University Canadian Alumni Association
  • Nanjing Normal University Alumni Association of Canada
  • Taiyuan University of Technology Canadian Alumni Association
  • Donghua University Canada Alumni Association
  • Hefei University of Technology Alumni Canada
  • Beijing Information Science and Technology University Alumni Association of Canada
  • BUPT Alumni Canada
  • Tianjin Medical University Alumni Association of Canada
  • Shenyang JianZhu University Alumni Association of Canada
  • Hangzhou Dianzi University Toronto Alumni Association
  • Nanchang University Alumni Association of Canada
  • Southern Medical University Alumni Association of Canada
  • FAFU Alumni Association of Canada
  • Harbin Engineering University Alumni Association of Canada
  • Central South University of Forestry and Technology Canada Alumni Association

Video for the first half

Video for the second half