The Confucius Institute presents: ‘Silk Words’

Students are the future, the life and the driving purpose of any successful university. Few would deny that fact. That’s why, when given the opportunity, there is no greater way for two universities to strengthen their ties than to foster bonds between their students.

And that’s just what the Confucius Institute hopes to accomplish by hosting the Guangzhou University Dance Troupe for their presentation of “Silk Words.”

It all kicks off on Oct. 21 from 11:30 a.m. to noon in the JSAC Breezeway where the Guangzhou University Dance Troupe will provide a free “dance demo” for faculty, staff and students.

Later that evening, the troupe will give its formal presentation, titled “Silk Words,” at the Kroc Center beginning at 7 p.m. That performance is also completely free to all GRU faculty, staff, students and community members, and will include a wide variety of dances, including traditional Chinese “Jian Wu,” otherwise known as sword dancing.

For a schedule of free shuttles from both the Summerville and Health Sciences campuses and University village, click here.

Famous for its School of Music and Dance, Guangzhou University has a great deal in common with GRU.

For one, both universities are the results of mergers. In Guangzhou University’s case, the current university is a merger of five smaller institutions, each with its own mission and goals. Today, both universities maintain strong research foci and are growing to accommodate their burgeoning undergraduate populations.

But most importantly, both universities value their students and the international exposure they receive.

And that’s what’s most extraordinary about the Guangzhou University Dance Troupe: Its thirty members are not professionals. They are not all life-long performers. They are students, every single one of them.

And they’re eager to share with you what they’ve learned.

For more information about the Guangzhou University Dance Troupe’s presentation of “Silk Words,” click here.

To view a highlight of the Confucius Institute’s last event, the first annual GRU Moon Festival, click here.