SANFORD - Exciting and colorful Chinese traditional music and dance light up the stage at the Dennis A. Wicker Civic Center Wednesday, Feb. 1, as Central Carolina Community College presents the Art Delegation from Shanxi University, People's Republic of China.

The delegation of 26 includes talented students and instructors who will share authentic dances, costumes, instruments, and calligraphy. The musicians will perform on traditional Chinese instruments such as the pipa, which resembles a lute, and the erhu, a long-necked two-string violin. The music and dances include selections from Inner Mongolia, Tibet and Shanxi.

The performance welcomes the Chinese New Year, the Year of the Dragon. Chinese around the world began the celebration of the new year on Jan. 23. The dragon, the only legendary creature in the Chinese zodiac, symbolizes good luck, wealth, strength, and power. It is believed that children born during the year will have fortunate and abundant lives.

Admission to the show is free, a gift to the community. The performance starts at 7 p.m. in the Civic Center, 1801 Nash St., Sanford. Anyone needing special seating accommodations should call (919) 718-7268.

The Shanxi University performance is the fifth in an ongoing series of Chinese cultural performances and exhibitions brought to Sanford through the college's Confucius Classroom. The Classroom is a partnership with North Carolina State University's Confucius Institute, which works with the Chinese government to bring performing troupes from China. CCCC provides the accommodations for the performances.

"New Year is the biggest Chinese holiday, so it is a great time to celebrate their language and culture," said Anna Lamm, NCSU China Program director and deputy director for the university's Confucius Institute. "The holiday is all about reunion and family, so sharing it with Americans is a wonderful way to come together."

In 2009, CCCC was the first community college in the nation to establish a Confucius Classroom. Under Visiting Professor Ling Huang, from Nanjing Normal University, students are learning Mandarin Chinese and Chinese culture. Huang is fluent in English and holds a bachelor's degree in English literature and a master's in Jewish literature.

Chinese is second only to English as an international language of business. The People's Republic of China is North Carolina's second-largest trading partner.

"Our Confucius Classroom enables the college to prepare our students for living and working in a global economy," said CCCC President Bud Marchant, who brought the idea for the Classroom to the college when he became president in 2008. "It helps link our central North Carolina communities, governments and businesses to China. Being able to host these superb performances is a major cultural bonus that connects the people of our nations in a very positive way."

Shanxi University is located in Taiyuan City, Shanxi Province, about 300 miles southwest of Beijing. The university was founded in 1902, one of the earliest national universities to be established in China. The Art Delegation is on a performance tour that includes locations such as Pfeiffer University, Presbyterian College, and the University of South Carolina.