Sister Cities of Sarasota hosts Lunar New Year celebration

For Sarasota's Jennifer Ortiz, the music, colors, discipline and artistry were captivating at the Lunar New Year Celebration on Feb. 17.

But that isn't what made it special for her.

It was seeing her daughter, 5-year-old Amirah El Mohtar, completely mesmerized at each and every performance.

"We truly value exposing her to different cultures and traditions," Ortiz said. "It’s so important for children to grow up appreciating diversity."

The Lunar New Year Celebration was held at the Green at University Town Center and hosted by Sister Cities Association of Sarasota, which has six Sister Cities throughout the world.

From Feb. 17 to Feb. 5, 2027, it is the Lunar Calendar's Year of the Horse. It represents a period of independence and ambition. 

A variety of dances, songs and martial arts pieces were performed by Mt. Song Martial Arts Academy, StarLite Dance Group, Tampa Sunshine Dance Group, Anna’s Dance Academy, Changkui Tang, Jie Yu, Zen Rhythm Dance Group of Sarasota and The Out-of-Door Academy.

Yuhong Wan was among the performers of Zen Rhythm Dance Group of Sarasota. They performed two times: “In Honor of a Star” and a Mongolian dance.

"When I stood on stage, I felt both nervous and thrilled but even more so happy and proud," "Seeing the audience’s attentive gazes and enthusiastic responses was incredibly touching."

Miles Toder, the president of Sister Cities Association of Sarasota, said he appreciated the level of people who attended, especially the children.

"We have a huge Asian-American presence across the United States and here in Florida, too," Toder said. "It's nice to see people of all ethnicities getting together and celebrating this Lunar New Year." 

For Wan, the Lunar New Year symbolizes "a new beginning, family reunions, gratitude and hopeful expectations for the future." 

"It is not only a traditional holiday, but also an important time to reflect on the past and welcome a new chapter," Wan said. "Most importantly, it represents sharing joy and blessings with family and the community."