NEW YEAR
Behind the scenes during Chinese New Year
Nearly 300 people rang in the Year of the Pig
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A woman checks her phone in a dressing room while waiting to perform at a gala on Feb. 2.At Pier 21, at age 21, Selina Qu performed on Saturday night for 280 people. The gala was organized by the Dalhousie Chinese Students and Scholars Association, three days before Chinese New Year, which falls on Feb. 5. Routines ranged from opera to hip hop to Qu’s traditional Chinese dance.
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Selina Qu pulls back her hair in a dressing room.
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Qu, right, prepares her costume with a friend backstage.By day, Qu studies financial services at NSCC. By night, she has been rehearsing the dance for about two weeks, wearing a costume that involves five face masks made of cloth. “I cannot tell you how warm it is,” she said before the show. “I’m not nervous. I’m just warm.”
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Qu in full costume.The event featured 13 performances, and Qu had to wait in her costume for about an hour.
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A woman prepares for one of the first acts of the evening.
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A seven-year-old girl dances while awaiting her cue.
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A performer receives help to adjust his headpiece.The event lasted four hours, beginning at 5p.m. Related stories
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Curtains open.Tickets were $35 for general admission and $68 for VIP passes, which included salad with the meal and seats closer to the stage.
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Qu performs.The performance only lasted about five minutes, but it came with sweat and cheers.
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Qu’s fellow performer drips sweat in the dressing room after exiting the stage.
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Qu wipes her face after packing her costume into a suitcase.Rather than staying for the rest of the gala, Qu went home. “Shower, absolutely,” she said.
