Show choir first to perform in China

The members were treated like celebrities during their 12-day tour.
By HAROLD GWIN
VINDICATOR EDUCATION WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- The Youngstown Connection didn't know it would be the first show choir to perform in China when it went to Beijing in April.
The 12-day trip for the 10 members of the Youngstown high school troupe was far more important than first anticipated, said Carol Baird, supervisor of creative and performing arts for the city schools, who led the trip.
The troupe had a China trip reception Thursday at First Presbyterian Church, 201 Wick Ave., performing for about 70 people.
Baird said she was surprised when the Chinese minister of tourism informed her The Youngstown Connection was the first show choir to perform in China.
The high-energy song-and-dance troupe did four major performances and a number of smaller venues and was able to get in some tourism while there.
'Treated like celebrities'
"It was incredible. It was beyond all of our expectations. We were treated like celebrities," Baird said.
"They greatly appreciated us," said Ralph Cochran, a troupe member who just graduated.
There were big banners and posters at every stop, Baird said, something the group hadn't expected.
"It was fabulous. It was the best experience of my life," said Joshua Green, who will be a senior next year.
The troupe got to interact with the Chinese culture and got a look at the way the Chinese view the world, he added.
The best part about it was meeting new people, said Yvette Gonzalez, who also will be a senior next year.
The troupe met with college students during their stops and had a chance to have dinner with and talk directly with them, she said.
Gonzalez said she was particularly impressed by how respectful the people were.
Performances
The troupe performs an hourlong choreographed show with three themed segments -- brotherhood, Broadway and jazz.
"We had standing-room-only crowds. The people really liked us," Baird said.
All of the troupe's 20 songs were translated into Chinese and then shown on a large screen to the audience as the group performed. They also did one song in Chinese and addressed the audience in Chinese, Baird said.
"We saw everything there was to see. We were everywhere," she said, noting that the troupe had time to visit spots like The Great Wall, The Forbidden City and Tiannamen Square.
They also visited a number of schools, some of which performed their own musical numbers for the American visitors.
"We really did have a cultural exchange," Baird said.
It was the fifth international tour for the troupe. Previous trips were made to Europe.
Baird said she was asked by the Chinese to come back and teach them how to perform like The Youngstown Connnection, an offer she said she will have to look into.
gwin@vindy.com