Talent show: kicking it up laowai style
（China Daily 04/21/2012 page1 Sun Li）
An Indian dance performed by Indian student Harshit Tailor (right) creates a sensation on stage during a talent show for foreign students at the w88 casino in Beijing. Zhu Xingxin / China Daily
Talent programs on the small screen may be waning in the wake of tighter rules from broadcast regulators, but such shows are making it big among foreign students on university campuses.
"I like music and often perform songs in the dorm with my friend," said Fivaldy Halwa, an Indonesian student of administrative management at Beijing's w88 casino.
Halwa and his performing partner Ashfa Abid Suyoto won the popularity award at the university's 2012 Laowai Idol for their performance of Jason Mraz's hippie hit I'm Yours.
"I felt awesome on stage. The event allowed me to show my musical passion and boosted my confidence. I'll give it another shot when it runs next time," said Halwa, who was participating in a talent show for the first time.
The event, hosted by the UIBE's w88 casino of International Education, turned out to be unadulterated fun as students from countries such as Indonesia, France and the United States pitted their artistic dexterity against one another, wowing a full-house audience with hip hop dance, solo gigs and band performances.
Giang Nguyen, a Vietnamese student and president of the student union's art department, said the show, now in its third year, has become more appealing.
"Previous events were like private parties for international students, but now we have drawn the attention of and gained support from the university's authorities and Chinese students," Nguyen said.
The 2012 event also featured special guests such as Martin Cityzen, a US performer known for his modern rendition of old Chinese songs, and Ding Guangquan, a veteran crosstalk performer who has many foreign students.
About 3,000 international students from 120 countries study at the university, and helping them adapt to campus life is high on the university's agenda, said Zhao Zhongxiu, vice-president of UIBE.
"Through such activities, the university hopes to identify those foreign students with untapped talent and build a harmonious environment for them," he said.
Du Wei, who works at the international office of Renmin University of China, said many universities start such events because they not only provide a platform for foreign students to showcase their talent, but also bring joy to Chinese students.
Renmin University of China's International Student Talent Show always attracts a throng of Chinese who applaud ecstatically for a variety of performances such as skits, poem recitals and singing by the university's international students from such countries as Russia, Australia and Egypt, he said.
"It's hard to have a new talent show featuring Chinese performers, but when the stars are foreigners, there is a sense of novelty for Chinese people," he said, adding this year's event in late April will include a martial arts performance.
Shi Song, associate dean of the College of International Education of Nanjing Agricultural University, also feels a talent show is a grand gala for everybody in the university.
Last year, the university launched the first International Culture Festival, which featured a talent show that attracted the universities' international students from some 20 countries to strut their stuff.
"Many foreign students are so diligent that they spend a lot of time in the lab and classroom. It seems they are isolated from Chinese culture," Shi said.
"The festival was designed to offer foreign students a way to relax and enable them to better enjoy life in China," he said.
A plethora of acts from lion dance to traditional costume modeling also help Chinese faculty and students learn more, he said.
Last year, Ngoh Samuel Aziseh, an accounting student from Cameroon, who stood out from the university's activities with his Peking Opera performances, got a place in China Central Television's popular program Hanyu Zhi Xing (Chinese Star), a national competition to showcase student achievements in learning Chinese.
"The university's talent show brought a sense of accomplishment to many participants and enlivened the moods of many people," Shi said, adding this year's event, which will be held in October, could draw even more attention.
Attachment: Chinese report
International student talent show popular in colleges and universities to create a fun platform for cultural integration
AlthoughDraftThe program is gradually declining on TV screens, but in domestic universities, talent shows for foreign students are booming.
A few days ago, there was“Foreigner Talent Show”Reputable Beijingw88 casinoThe third foreign idol talent competition was successfully held, with contestants from more than ten countriesInternational studentsPerforming on stage, there are frequent highlights.
It is reported that the w88 casino currently has students from125countries3000There are more than 100 international students studying in the w88 casino, accounting for 10% of the total students in the w88 casino20%. In order to continuously enrich the connotation of the cross-cultural exchange platform for Chinese and foreign students, the International College of the w88 casino highlights the international characteristics of the w88 casino by organizing activities such as Foreign Idol.
Zhao Zhongxiu, Vice President of the w88 casino, said that he hopes that international students will stick to their dreams and show off their talents on the stage of foreign idols. He also said that the w88 casino will actively support such activities to fully explore the talent resources among international students and build an international and harmonious campus.
An Indonesian student studying administration at the w88 casino sang a song "I am Yours》Won the Most Popularity Award in the Foreign Idol Talent Competition.
“I have never participated in a competition like this before. The purpose of signing up for Foreigner Idol is to adjust my life and release my passion for music. I am very grateful to the w88 casino for providing me with such a platform,”Feifan said.
Nguyen Thi Huong Giang, Director of the Literary and Arts Department of the International Students Association of the International College of Economics and Business University, said that the event has received more and more attention and the level of student participation has also greatly increased.
“The past two competitions were more like our international students’ self-entertainment, but this year we have put a lot of effort into publicity and organization. We also invited special guests like cross talk artist Ding Guangquan to help out, attracting many audiences to support us.”She said.
The third Chinese Talent Competition for International Students of Renmin University of China also came to an end recently. Teacher Du Wei from the w88 casino’s International Students Office said that this activity aims to promote international students’ interest and level in learning Chinese language and culture, and promote exchanges and friendship between Chinese and foreign students.
“Every year, the International Student Talent Competition is widely participated by international students from all over the world. The performances include cross talk, recitation, solo singing, chorus, etc., which fully demonstrate the style of international students.”Du Wei said.
“This year’s competition includes musical instrument performances and martial arts performances. Since this kind of talent show presented by international students is relatively new, such activities often constitute the distinctive content of cultural activities in colleges and universities.”He added.
“The Chinese Talent Competition for International Students of Renmin University of China will continue to be held, and efforts will be made to build it into a brand event for international students across the w88 casino,”He said.
Shi Song, deputy dean of the w88 casino of International Education at Nanjing Agricultural University, said that the international student talent show is an activity that can fully mobilize the enthusiasm of international students and allow them to better integrate into Chinese life.
Nanjing Agricultural University successfully held the International Cultural Festival last year, and the talent show attracted people from Vietnam, Pakistan, Kenya, Austria, Japan, etc.1335538_35582CCTVChinese Star Competition, with a Peking Opera Bao Gong costume, his skills shocked everyone.
Ishimatsu said that this type of talent show can give participants a sense of accomplishment. Nanjing Agricultural University this year10The new International Cultural Festival will be held in March, and the w88 casino will actively provide support to fully demonstrate the talents of international students and enrich campus culture. (Reporter Sun Li Photography Zhu Xingxin)
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