See this story at BrooklynDaily.com.
By Ruth Brown
Brooklyn Daily
Happy New Year — again!
Jan. 31 marks the beginning of the lunar New Year, the first day of the Chinese calendar, and Brooklyn will be ringing in the Year of the Horse with events around the borough. Whether you prefer Sunset Park’s blowout parade and performances or something a little more quiet and contemplative, our guide to the local festivities has you covered.
Dance dance resolution
Get a head-start on your New Year’s celebrations at the Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts on Jan. 26. Celebrated New Jersey-based choreographer Nai-Ni Chen and her company will cross a couple of rivers to bring us “A Lunar New Year Celebration,” a tribute to the Year of the Horse that blends traditional Chinese and modern American dance into one colorful, high-energy performance.
Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts at Brooklyn College [2900 Campus Rd. between Amersfort Place and Kenilworth Place in Flatbush, (718) 951–4500, www.brooklyncenter.com]. Jan. 26 at 3 pm. $30.
Child’s play
Got small kids who are not big fans of firecrackers? No problem. The Brooklyn Children’s Museum is hosting two weekends of activities to educate youngsters about the lunar New Year — flash powder-free. Little ones can listen to Chinese folk tales, construct a party hat, and help operate a big dragon puppet as part of the museum’s celebrations.
Brooklyn Children’s Museum [145 Brooklyn Ave. between St. Marks Avenue and Prospect Place in Crown Heights, (718) 735–4400, www.brooklynkids.org]. Jan. 25–26 and Feb. 1–2, various times. Free with $9 museum admission.
Booked in
The Brooklyn Central Library won’t be quite so quiet on Feb. 1, when it rings in the New Year with two musical performances from local ensemble Music From China. The group will play both ancient and modern songs on traditional instruments, including Chinese folk tunes, Hong Kong pop, and original compositions.
Brooklyn Central Library, Dweck Center [10 Grand Army Plaza between Flatbush Avenue and Eastern Parkway, (718) 230–2198, www.bklynpubliclibrary.org]. Feb. 1 at 1 pm and 4 pm. Free.
The main event
This is the big shebang in Brooklyn — the Brooklyn Chinese-American Association’s celebration in Sunset Park. Performances kick off at 11 am — with traditional song, dance, lion dances, and more — followed by firecrackers and a parade down Eighth Avenue, from 50th to 60th streets, at 1 pm.
Starting in front of the Brooklyn Chinese-American Association [5000 8th Ave. at 50th Street, (718) 438–0008, www.bca.net]. Feb. 2 at 11 am. Free.