Stage performances

Returning from their inaugural performance at the Chatswood Year of the Rabbit, the Sydney Good Mood Dance Troupe comprised over one hundred performers from China that now call Sydney their home. Coming from different regions of China, spectators saw the differences in clothing, music and dance styles between performers.

The troupe was split into three teams, the Good Mood Art Troupe, the Oriental Pearl Art Troupe and the Gold Coast Ocean Blue Art Troupe. Their goal was to bring the cultural vibrancy of China to the local community.

The Chatswood Lunar New Year celebrations officially begun with a welcome by Willoughby Mayor Tanya Taylor, local guests, and Councillors. It was followed by a traditional eye dotting ceremony to 'open the eyes' of the lions and dragons.

A spectacular lion and dragon dance performance was then be held at the bottom of The Concourse staircase performed by Qing Fong Lion Dance Association.

The lions and dragons walked through the crowd, so viewers had to make sure they got their cameras and red pockets ready to make a fortune wish to the lions and dragons.

The Sydney Guyun Yaxuan Guzheng Arts Academy was founded in 2015 and is a professional guzheng training institution. The school has been established for countless guzheng lovers providing a professional opportunity to learn the guzheng. The academy’s resident guzheng orchestra was invited to various prominent performances including at the Sydney Opera House, the Sydney Town Hall, the Sydney Star Casino and other major cultural festivities. The Sydney Guyun Yaxuan Guzheng Arts Academy is committed to promoting traditional Chinese culture and music, combining and innovating with modern and western music technology.

At the Chatswood Lunar New Year Celebration Day, a few of the Academy's students were on stage to perform traditional music on their guzhengs. If you think you'd like to learn how to play, make sure to reach out and have a chat to their teacher, Julia.

Based in Chatswood, the Chung Do Taekwondo team showcased some of their moves and skills.

Taekwondo is a Korean martial art which has split into traditional styles and the modern Olympic style. At Chung Do Taekwondo they aim to balance both the ethos and skills of traditional taekwondo alongside the more modern competitive aspects of the martial art.

All skill levels are welcome, from 0 athletic background to active competitors. With a wide range of classes, they cater for their student's individual goals.

Visitors to Chatswood experienced the magic of the Chinese Lunar New Year through the soul-stirring tunes of the erhu, performed by the talented June.

Born into a family of musicians, June's father, who is a famous erhu player in China, taught her to play piano and erhu at a young age. Despite her current career as a lawyer, erhu remains her passion and love.

June hopes to introduce more people to the beauty of traditional Chinese erhu music through her performance.

If you've ever strolled through the city and heard the beauty of erhu, most likely it's June playing. This was her debut at Chatswood.

David's band features 3 outstanding artists, Jessica Laffan on the vocal and guitar (Jess was the grand finalist for The Voice Generation 2022), David Ju on the keyboard and guitar (David is a music prodigy, multi-instrumentalist, who played with Steve Vai and many big artists on stage and festivals). Last but not least, Bach Nguyen on the drums who is only 12 years old, a grade 8 drummer and a talent off the scale.

This band has performed at many festivals before including the Northern Beaches Music Festival, the Willoughby Emerge Festival, the Lane Cove Street Festival and most recently the Parramatta Square Music Festival and Liverpool Mall Christmas Celebration.

Ladies and gentlemen were in for a treat at Lunar New Year 2024, enjoying wonderful music that blew them away.

Lunar New Year saw a non-stop 30 minute showcase of some of the best pop dancers in Sydney. These groups danced to some of the latest K-pop  and J-pop hits that you may have heard whilst while watching TikTok or Insta.

The showcase featured the following groups:

160cm Girls
K-pop - Dance
Performing Red Flavour - Red Velvet

160cm Girls are very passionate about dancing and love K-pop. 160cm Girls is a new crew who are very excited to perform. This is their second time performing in front of audiences. Their performance brought freshness and red energy during the hot day. Viewers enjoyed the performance of the summer hit song Red Flavour by Red Velvet.

EUTONE (pronounced You-Tone)
K-pop - Dance medley
Performing ETA - New Jeans | Untouchable - ITZY

EUTONE is a cover dance group who came together in 2022 with a shared love for dancing and K-pop. EUTONE is a combination of the words ‘YOU’ plus ‘ONE’, and they strive to be united as one in all their work!

Astra
K-pop - Dance
Performing Drama - Aespa

Astra are a group of close friends from Crossover Dance Studio. They met through the love of K-pop and dancing. This was their first time performing in front of audiences, and they enjoyed the extra support from the public watching. They performed Drama by Aespa which is a current K-pop megahit song.

Pierre Tu
K-pop (Vocal)
Performing Chasing that Feeling - TXT | Seven - Jungkook (BTS)

The next performer has been in the K-Pop community since 2019. He has been dancing with his K-pop dance crew SIRIUS ever since, and now has recently started adding in his singing with his performances. After restarting singing on stage in 2023, he's been wanting to continue performing and to 'chase' this amazing feeling. The crowd went wild for the solo act Pierre Tu as he covered Chasing That Feeling by TXT and Seven by Jungkook.

FAEBLE
J-pop / J-idol (Vocal)
Performing Maneki Kecak - Joudan Ja Nai Ne | AIBECK - OSE!!

FAEBLE are a singing and dancing J-pop idol group based right here in Sydney! They regularly hold idol shows in Sydney and perform right across Australia! You can check them out at @faeblefuture. The group were super excited to bring Chatswood all their crazy idol energy!

UmIX x Love D’fuse
Asian pop - Dance medley
Performing Perfect Night - Le Sserafim | Gokuraku Jodo - GARNiDELiA | Disco Alaskan Wolves - GEM | Fighting - Seventeen BSS

UmIX is a mix of different groups, dancers and friends, all with our own style, flavour - a mixture of U & I together with Love D’fuse! The performances celebrated the Year of the Dragon with some fun Asian pop favourites!

The West Ryde Garden Art Troupe is composed of grandmothers at the average age around 70, whose members are very active and have participated in many activities and performances since 10 years ago. They often dance together and have become very good friends by dancing. This year was their debut at the Chatswood LNY Celebration Day.

Qing Fong returned to the lower podium of The Concourse in 2024 to showcase some of the best lion and dragon dance performances in the Southern Hemisphere. Revelers came early to get the best view and were wowed by the lifelike performances as well as to get close to a dragon and lion for good luck.

The Music Stars Academy is one of the newest music schools to come to the North Shore. Based in Roseville, the academy is spear headed by Brian Zhang, a musician and teacher that's been teaching kids for many years. They run fantastic group classes for all saxophonists, clarinet players, violinists and a music theory class made fun!

Other instruments include the guitar, both bass and ukulele, drums and vocals too.

At the Chatswood Lunar New Year Celebration Day, Brian performed with a few of his students, some of which performed publicly for the first time.