On the other side of Asia there lies a different world; a different civilization! The vibrant culture there has bred the nobility of England, the rigor of Germany, the romance of France, the boldness of Spain, and the brilliance anddreams of Italy. For Wanyuan’s 9th Intercontinental Carnival this year, we have come to a place where the beauty of nature and western humanity are integrated — Europe! All the children of the pioneer class will travel together through the various countries, enjoying Europe’s unique multiculturalism.
This week saw the two-day opening of our European Carnival, beginning on November 17. At the opening ceremony, our students laughed happily to see the film ” The Pact of Roses”, which was the second intercontinental carnival film shot at Wanyuan after “The Wish of the Sea”.
The story of “The Pact of the Roses” is based on Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast,” one of Europe’s most enduring tales. It not only has a protagonist who overcomes a curse after many hardships, but also shows the power of love, compassion and tolerance to create a beautiful mind. At the end, the fierce and ugly beast finally turns into a handsome prince when his heart learns to love, which teaches children that beauty of the mind is more valuable than beauty of appearance.
On November 18, parents were invited to watch two live versions of the play “The Rendezvous of the Roses”. On a beautiful stage that was transformed into a palace, the beast, the prince, the witch, Belle, the father, the hunter, the villagers, the furniture and many other characters presented a thrilling growing-up story about the beast. This time, Principal Paul transformed himself into an old king in an ancient castle in Europe. He was glad to see that the wayward prince had learned how to be kind, responsible and brave, and abandoned his arrogance and selfishness. When the final curtain closed, parents and friends of the school burst into applause, and were full of praise for the whole performance.
The play included a magnificent stage setting, fluent and dramatic lines of the student actors, beautiful and passionate music, unique clothes and makeup, and a clear narrative. Everyone tried their best to show the romantic beauty and interesting tone of the story. Above all, a simple idea links European culture and Chinese culture – the value of being a true, brave and honest person. Every character on the stage is important, and it is these friends who never give up and try their best to change the beast that makes the prince feel the beauty of life again. In Chinese culture, it is also mentioned that friendship means commitment, companionship and help, caring for each other, and interdependence, forming a very distinctive Chinese style of friendship and communication. Our carnival play combines the cultural values of Europe and China, showing children an ideal world of truth, good and beauty.
Although the wonderful opening ceremony has come to an end, the carnival activities are still in full swing. This year is a special year, and it has not been easy to successfully complete the opening stage performance of the Intercontinental Carnival. The whole rehearsal required the efforts and creativity of the group director, the music department, the dance group, the art department, the parent volunteer group, the prop group, the IT department, the administrative logistics department and the camera group. We would like to express our sincere thanks to everyone for helping to bring a stunning and memorable audio-visual feast to Wanyuan. Thank you as well to all the teachers and students of the Primary School, as well as the Parent Committee, for their strong support!
Carnival is a celebration of happiness, a grand event integrating Chinese and Western cultures, a series of interdisciplinary inquiry and learning, and also a wonderful opportunity for home-school interaction and cooperation. Over the next month, we aim to broaden the international perspective of our students by means of cross-cultural understanding and learning about the different customs and cultures, rich and profound history, and amazing development of Europe.
Let’s remember the wonderful moments of the opening ceremony! We also look forward to the exciting student activities in the coming month, as well as the closing ceremony!
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