Eastern Iowa Chapter

Lunar New Year at Englert Theatre in Iowa City

The Eastern Iowa Chapter of APAPA welcomes you to celebrate this Lunar New Year at Englert Theater in Iowa City on February 11th from 4pm to 5:30pm. This year's celebration features cultural performances of different Asian countries including the famous lion dance, dragon performance, professional artists, and musicians. For tickets call (319) 688-2653 or click the “buy tickets” button below.  

Don't miss out on this incredible event! Check out the featured coverage of the event in Iowa City's Newsletter and Website.

For tickets, click “Buy Tickets” below or call (319) 688-2653.

2023 World Culture Festival

On September 9th, 2023, APAPA with Better Together hosted the World Culture Festival featuring food from every continent and traditional Chinese performances.  Set up in the downtown district, the event opened with an introduction from Mayor Bruce Teague about inclusion, caring for underserved communities, and access to resources for our immigrant community members.

The event kicked off with the mystical Chinese lion dance.  We first shared about the history of this treasured tradition and provided cultural context for the different styles implemented by Vietnam, Korea, Malaysia, Japan, and China.

Performing the dance were Israel Hoffman, Michael Lee, Jerry Li, and Jack Sun. Local Iowans, both students and community members, were thrilled to see something so exotic in the heart of downtown. Many took pictures with the lions and enjoyed the view from their tables while eating lunch as the lions paraded past shops and restaurants. 

The Chinese Dance Club also sent a few of their members Rebecca Guo, Emily Kalmanek, Lei Zhu, Jessica Zhao to perform the romantic song “Shenhua” with solos by Jessica Zhao and Lei Zhu. There were three Chinese Classic dances in total, each representing a different era in China. There was from Han Dynasty (almost 2000 years ago), Tang Dynasty (1600 years ago), and from present. 

Children and parents had fun at this inaugural event taking home special crafts and warm memories regarding Asian culture. 

APAPA also had crafts tables set up for traditional calligraphy created by Professor Emeritus Helen Shen, at the University of Iowa, traditional paper cuttings created by the Chinese artists as well as bracelets shaped like traditional Chinese coins and with characters expressing good fortune created by the Korean artists