On May 29, 2025, a spectacular artistic gala took place at the Hsi Building Auditorium. Entirely planned and performed by sixth-grade students, this talent show revolved around the theme of "Youth and Dreams," showcasing a wide variety of artistic forms including dance, music, and spoken word performances. It fully demonstrated the students’ diverse talents and vibrant creativity.

Instrumental Ensemble – Melodies Flowing Like a River

The performance opened with the first movement of String Trio Triptych, played by Harry, Viviana , and Eli and Sophie from on cello, viola, and violin respectively. Their passionate yet layered string trio set an elegant artistic tone for the evening. Soon after, Eli returned to the stage to perform Romance, a cello solo arranged by Liu Zhuang based on a Xinjiang folk melody. The piece was both fiery and delicate, its flowing notes captivating the audience in a musical trance.

In addition, Dora, Cindy, Chloe, Sissi, and Zoey delivered a moving rendition of “Canon in D”, blending violin, cello, guitar, and piano into a harmonious interplay across instruments.

Dance – A Kaleidoscope of Styles

The dance segment dazzled the audience with its diversity and energy. Irina presented a classical dance titled “Breezy Arrival”, light and graceful like a gentle wind brushing past. Effie then enchanted the crowd with her emotional singing of “Under the Open Sky”, transporting listeners into a poetic world among the clouds.

Next came a dynamic K-pop medley: “Hype Boy” & “Like Jennie”. The lineup included Elisa, Kerina, Claire Li, and Chloe Wu, Isabella, Chloe Chen, Ashley and Ceci from. Their synchronized moves and high-energy rhythm perfectly captured the charm of K-pop.

Olivia and Sissi brought laughter and surprise with their Japanese-style anime dance “Daidaidaidaidaikirai” — playful yet technically impressive. Following them was a lively performance of “Drama” by Camille and Claire Xu, Catherine and Jocelyn, whose upbeat rhythm earned thunderous applause.

Language Arts – Witty and Expressive

The spoken-word segment was equally brilliant. Maxi, Ethan, and Sam staged a humorous skit titled School Life, centered around the topic “How to Write an Essay,” drawing laughter and resonance from the audience. Aidan and Olivia, together with Audrey C, combined learning strategies with comedy in their cross-genre act Scientific Exam Preparation, proving both practical and entertaining.

Solo Performances – Shining Moments

The individual talent showcase featured many highlights. Clarke from Class 6-1 moved the audience with his heartfelt Italian performance of La mia ragion è questa, despite the language barrier. Charlie powerfully interpreted Jay Chou’s classic The Name of the Father, fusing rap with deep emotion.

In ballet, due to illness, Lynn was unable to attend the performance that day, and instead sent a video of "Giselle – Grand Classical Variation for Women," conveying through graceful dancing the story of a beautiful yet tragic love. Hanya honored patriotic poet Lu You through the classical dance “Ode to China”, conveying profound historical and national sentiment.

Finally, Ashley and Ingmars impressed the audience with a guzheng medley that blended traditional elegance with modern pop, demonstrating the new vitality of Chinese folk music.

Alternative Talents – Blossoming in the Clouds

Beyond the fourteen live performances on stage, nine additional creative video projects were also showcased. These included large-scale marimba playing, drumset performances, and even robotic programming, all highlighting the students' talents across art and technology.

Teachers Take the Stage – Raising the Final Curtain in Style

The highlight of the show came as our Chinese and foreign teachers made a surprise appearance, transforming into "Trendsetters" who truly connected with the students' tastes.

They kicked things off with the iconic SpongeBob SquarePants theme, then brought the heat with K-pop hit “Yes or Yes”, followed by a lively performance of TFBoys' youth anthem “The Youth Training Manual”. The fun continued with a humorous twist in their remake of “Learning Machine” — proving that the teachers could totally rock the youth vibe too!

The grand finale was a heartfelt group performance of Lights is in You, sung by all the teachers together. As the powerful lyrics "Cause the lights is in you" echoed through the auditorium, the stage erupted into an ocean of passion and youth!

Student Votes – Witnessing Moments of Glory

While watching the performances, each student received a ballot to vote for their favorite acts. In addition to regular awards such as the Best Cooperation and Leadership Award, Best Creativity and Originality Award, and Best Performance Award, a special award was added — Stage Surprise Star Award. This unique award was proposed by Ivy from Class 6-9, who will be invited to participate in the award presentation ceremony.

This vibrant and artistically rich talent show concluded amid waves of laughter and applause. More than just a feast for the eyes and ears, it was a beautiful testament to growth, dreams, and passion. The sixth-grade students wrote their youth with talent and ignited their creativity — lighting up the stage, and lighting up the future.

Written by Chen Xu

Proofread by Judah Kuhn

Pictures by Ginger Xu, Josh Stanley

Reviewed by Wenyi Wu, Luo Cong