On April 15, Awareness of Roots in Chinese Culture, or ARCC, presented the second annual One Night in Beijing in Rangos Ballroom. The event served as a cabaret that showcased various aspects of Chinese culture and the ethnic groups that have influenced it.  

The theme for this year's One Night in Beijing was "Generations," which was represented in skits performed by the evening's four hosts: HSS junior Alan Wu, SCS junior Yin Li, CIT grad student Xie Le, and CIT senior Mark Pimentel. Wu and Li played the hardworking parents of the hip-hop-loving, girl-obsessed Pimentel, while Le played the grandfather who had recently arrived from China. Between each segment, the hosts performed short skits that explained the significance of the next section while also playing along with their familial story line.

One Night in Beijing had a variety of performances from different cultures, all spread out over two acts. Each act began with a fashion showcase, which included clothing from various Chinese dynasties. Highlights from the first act include a performance of the Taiwanese song "Tenderness (Wen Rou)" by the band Non Entity, a Mongolian dance in which the dancers balanced small bowls on their heads, and a combination classical/ballet/lyrical dance which made use of beautiful silk ribbon fans and handkerchiefs. During the second act, highlights included "Return of the Ming Dynasty," a martial arts performance by Black Mountain Spirit School of Chinese Kung Fu, a hip-hop dance to Chinese pop music, a performance of the song "So Far Away" by Tepper junior Clement Tse and CFA sophomore Jacqueline Wong, and the finale dance to the "Yellow River Concerto," which included half of the event's committee.

This year's performance was dedicated to Wei Wei Wang, a student who recently passed away. (See, Tragedy of a Fellow Student.) Wang had been an active member of ARCC, participating in the organization's Culture Night and the 2005 One Night in Beijing.

For more information about ARCC, visit their website.

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