Accompanying the teenage dancers from Utah were several parents who also enjoyed the performances. Verronica Ortega, 40, is among those making their first visit to China together with her 12-year-old daughter. Her father, a former aerospace engineer, had lived in Chengdu, Sichuan province for about six months in 1996, and she has been looking forward to visiting China for a long time.

As a huge fan of arts, she was impressed by the Chinese culture and the atmosphere of passion and creativity for arts at the university. She was especially fascinated by the charm of traditional Chinese dancing.