Previous Events

2019 US & Canada Great Lakes Region Taiji Performance Festival was held at UM Dearborn GYM

The 8th annual US and Canada Great Lakes Region Taiji Festival was held at the University of Michigan's Dearborn Gym on November 2, 2019. The Taiji Festival is a grand gathering of local Taiji fans. Every year, the Festival attracts a large number of Taiji enthusiasts from around the Great Lakes Region. This year, 13 teams with over 200 members from the United States and Canada participated, arriving from Windsor, Ann Arbor, Novi, Troy, Livonia and Canton. At this year's Festival, we saw more young people from different nationalities.

The festival was hosted by Dr. Liang Jiancheng, Chairman of the Great Lakes Taiji Association, and Dan Schottenfels, Director of the Association. Two representatives from the Consulate-General of P.R.C in Chicago, Liu Qing and Zhou Lei, came to congratulate and address the Festival: "My colleague Zhou Lei and I are very happy to attend today. On behalf of the Consulate-General of P.R.C in Chicago, I would like to extend my warmest congratulations to you! Taiji is a treasure of Chinese culture. Over the years, with the active efforts of the organizers and participants, the Great Lakes Taiji Association has been able to teach Taiji and hold the Festival. I am grateful to everyone for their contribution to promoting Chinese culture and promoting cultural exchanges between China and the United States. I wish today's Festival is a complete success."

The teams in this years’ Festival prepared a wide variety of performances, including the Chen, Yang, Wu, and Wudang styles. The performances included open hand styles, and also routines with swords, sabers, long pole staff, and Taiji fans.

As a treasure of Chinese culture and art, Taiji Chuan has spread to a worldwide audience. The art of Taiji involves healthy exercise, martial skills, and spiritual awareness. Taiji is also a well-established practice for traditional Chinese health care.

Around the world, Taiji Chuan is a popular fitness sport. Many studies have found that the regular practice has many advantages for better health, such as improving balance, strengthening the legs, core and upper body, increasing cardiovascular endurance, and improving sleep and happiness. Often referred to as “Meditation in Motion”, Taiji is a performed in a slow and relaxed set of postures, and most people enjoy the Taiji music for calm and relaxation.

This year’s Festival received support from the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of the Consulate General of Chicago, the Chinese Association of Greater Detroit, the Annhua Association, and Dragon Eagle TV. Thanks for help at the Festival goes to Liu Xiangying, Guo Mingchao, Zhang Huilei, Zhang Nainan, Li Songnian, Liu Hang and others, who worked hard on photography, audio and festival services. The festival organizing committee would like to thank all the participants and their relatives who support them. Thanks to all the attendees, everyone’s efforts have made the 8th Great Lakes Taiji Festival an amazing event!

2019年《五大湖地区太极观摩演示交流会》成功举办

2019年11月2日一年一度的美加五大湖地区太极观摩演示交流会在密西根大学Dearborn分校的体育馆举行。太极大会是本地广大太极拳爱好者的盛会，今年已是第八届。大会每年都吸引着五大湖周边地区大批太极拳爱好者前来参会。今年共有来自美国和加拿大的13支代表队参会，分别是来自安娜堡地区的安华一队、二队、达远太极队、金色年华队、Wu’s Taiji Academy代表队和太极之爱队，来自坎顿的五湖太极队、来自Novi的健身太极队和康乐太极队、来自Livonia的密西根太极协会代表队、来自特洛伊的密西根太极中心代表队、太极星队、更有来自加拿大温莎地区的Alex Wu’s 太极代表队。各队手持队旗精神抖擞喜气洋洋地列队入场，大家身上色彩鲜艳的太极服更是把会场装点得充满了节日的气氛。

大会由五大湖太极协会主席梁建成博士及协会理事Dan Schottenfels主持，中国驻芝加哥总领馆柳青、周蕾领事专程前来祝贺并向大会致辞：“我和我的同事周蕾领事很高兴出席今天的观摩演示交流盛会，我谨代表中国驻芝加哥总领事馆向大家表示热烈祝贺! 太极是中华文化的瑰宝。多年来，在每位组织者和参与者的积极努力下，五大湖地区太极协会得以传授太极技艺、成功举办大型演示活动。在此，我感谢大家为弘扬中华文化、促进中美人文交流做出的贡献。预祝今天的展示会取得圆满成功。”

为本次大会各队都进行了认真的准备，演示内容丰富多彩，从流派上分有陈式。杨式、吴式、武当。从套路来看，有刀、剑、棍、扇还有国家体育总局新编八法五步。值得一提的是，今年新加入的太极之爱队首次亮相就有不俗的表现。太极星队所表演的拳剑组合颇具艺术观赏性，给人留下深刻印象。

太极拳作为中华文化艺术瑰宝发祥于中国走向了世界，是中华文明的重要文化标识和精神图谱，蕴含丰富的文化内涵。它不仅仅是一种武术门类，更是一种文化，一种人生哲理。我们身边有许多不同族裔的朋友因习练太极拳而了解进而喜爱上了中华文化。在今年的太极大会上我们看到了更多不同民族的、更年轻的朋友。

太极拳作为一项健身运动深受民众喜爱。近年的多项研究和详检都发现，经常练太极对于提高人体的健康水平如提高平衡力、增强腿部力量、心血管耐力、改善睡眠、提升幸福感等有诸多好处。当太极的音乐响起，全身心的投入到太极当中，凝神静气，放空自己，在舒展肢体的同时也让紧张的精神得以舒缓，对此众多拳友已有切身体会，相信通过太极大会的宣传将会吸引更多的人加入到太极习练者的队伍中来。使太极运动及太极精神惠及更多的人。

为本次太极大会的顺利召开，芝加哥总领馆侨务组，底特律中国人协会, 安华协会，及龙鹰电视给予了大力支持和赞助，刘翔鹰、国明超、张慧蕾、张迺楠、李松年、刘航等在摄像、摄影、音响及会务方面付出了大量辛劳，大会组委会在此一并向他们致谢！大会组委会更要感谢所有参会队员及其支持他们的亲属们，感谢所有参会的观众们，是大家的努力成就了这样一次太极盛会！