The Tale of the Chinese Zodiac: Animated Performance and Art Showcase with Grade 1

The origin of how the 12 animals of the Chinese Zodiac were selected came to life as first-grade students performed The Animal's Race: A Play About the Chinese Zodiac for parents and students in the Taylor Performing Arts Center with an art showcase reception following.

The collaborative, cross-curricular performance brought together theater, music, and art through the hard work of Grade 1 teachers Beth Messina 1996 and Rebecca Godinez, theater teacher Lisa Daly, Lower School music teacher Rachael Jungkeit, Lower School art teacher Sue Bennett 1973, and media specialist Stacey Schwartz.

“The success of the performance showcases the hard work of the students, teachers, and everyone involved and the collaborative learning atmosphere we have here at Hamden Hall,” commented Ms. Daly.

Taking the stage, the students donned white T-shirts designed with a colorful drawing of the animal they were representing along with accessories including hats and ears. The 12 zodiac animals are the rat, ox, horse, goat, monkey, dog, pig, snake, tiger, rabbit, rooster, and the dragon.

The play began with a narration by Lower School Mentors junior Gianna Dellacroce and sophomore Melanie Carling detailing how in ancient China the Jade Emperor had a great idea: he'd set up a race across the river, and the first 12 animals to cross the finish line would represent the years in the Chinese zodiac. One-by-one, each student took a turn walking to the front of the stage to tell their story on how they crossed the river. The fun was not over as the students performed the song The Twelve Zodiac Animals in Mandarin, which they learned over two weeks with instructor Chien-ju Lin.

Following the production, students and their parents were invited to an art showcase reception in the Lender Refectory. On the first few tables were easels displaying students’ artwork, which featured colorful, hand-drawn and painted pictures of the zodiac animals they represented in the performance. In class, the students have been learning about the history of the Ming Vase and its relation to Chinese New Year. Using white pumpkins as the base, students painted the pumpkins with blue paint to mimic the traditional vase with repeated patterns.