On Sunday, Krannert Center for the Performing Arts hosted FusionFest, a celebration of the 2025 Lunar New Year, the year of the snake. 

Lunar New Year is one of the most important events in Chinese and other Asian cultures and comes with prominent social, cultural and economic aspects. The celebration marks the beginning of the lunar calendar and is deeply rooted in customs, myths and familial traditions as individuals transition from the old year to the new. 

Those who celebrate Lunar New Year focus on renewal, good fortune and letting go of the past while embracing many different aspects of their culture. 

FusionFest aimed to encapsulate all of the crucial aspects of the Lunar New Year through a blend of traditional Asian culture and artistry presented in a live stage performance. 

With the contributions of various organizations, including cultural associations and local arts groups, FusionFest incorporated several aspects of Asian cultures and created a meaningful event to bring to the Champaign-Urbana community.

“I would consider Lunar New Year the most important holiday of the year for Chinese people,” said Conway Hsieh, student in the Carle Illinois College of Medicine. “It’s the time when people get back together and celebrate, so it’s important to be able to celebrate here on campus.”

With the spirit of cultural celebration in mind, FusionFest offered diverse performances that highlighted the richness of Lunar New Year traditions. 

The two-and-a-half-hour long show opened with a beautiful performance of Spring Festival Suite, a Chinese orchestral work composed by Li Huanzhi, followed by a piano concerto showcasing Jiafeng Yan as the piano soloist. 

Following the opening numbers, some of the event coordinators spoke about the importance and meaning of the event, such as Mike Ross, director of KCPA, and Jim Hinterlong, executive director of the University YMCA. 

“The University YMCA has been part of this community for 152 years, and we’ve been very committed to making this a welcoming community for all people,” Hinterlong said during his introductory speech. “Through our New American Welcome Center, we are very pleased to work together to create a community in which everyone feels they can thrive.” 

After a gracious opening speech, the rest of the evening’s entertainment ensued with many captivating and representative performances that aimed to encapsulate crucial cultural aspects as well as pay tribute to each culture’s history.

Some performances included mesmerizing musical ensembles with standouts like the youth string band Ai Erwa, David Wang’s piano solo and a performance of “True Hero” by University alum Eric Hu.

Vibrant dance performances also debuted, from light-hearted K-pop dancing to authentic performances, such as “Farewell My Concubine,” performed by Ke Yan.

While many performances were centered around song and dance, there were other dynamics of artistic and cultural expression. 

Highlights of the show included the Competitive Taekwondo Club and Illini Wushu, who demonstrated their abilities within different martial arts through impressive choreography and jaw-dropping tricks, especially their skills in “breaking.” 

Other important aspects of Asian culture were demonstrated throughout the show, such as the VSA Lions, who reinvented the traditional lion dance by incorporating original ideologies with more modern choreographic choices. 

All of these performances allowed attendees to have the opportunity to immerse themselves in traditions firsthand, experiencing the sights, sounds and stories that make Lunar New Year such a cherished occasion. 

While much of the FusionFest audience was from the Asian community, many other community members and students gathered to celebrate their vibrant culture. 

“Particularly now in this political climate where diversity, equity and inclusion are almost being sidelined, I think it’s really important to be a part of stuff that’s unfamiliar, to learn from it and be exposed to things we wouldn’t normally be exposed to,” said Bonnie Ward, ESL director of the First Presbyterian Church of Champaign. “It’s important to just open our worldview and realize that there’s a lot of similarities between people, but there are also other things that make each culture unique.”

The mesmerizing blend of music, dance, martial arts and other artistic expressions at FusionFest honored the significance of the Lunar New Year and fostered a deeper appreciation for Asian heritage among attendees of all backgrounds. 

FusionFest at KCPA was more than just a performance; it was a vibrant celebration of culture, tradition and community. 

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