The First-ever YY1 Original English Musical – The Way of Tao

The first-ever original English musical at YY1, "The Way of Tao," which marked the 45th-anniversary celebration of our school, was finally put on show on 27th and 28^th September 2024. We are of much honour to have the company of our distinguished guests, parents, students, teachers from other schools, totaling nearly a thousand people. Officials such as District Officer of Home Affairs Office (Kwai Tsing), Mr. Huggin Tang JP, Chief School Development Officer(Edb Kwai Tsing and Tsuen Wan), Chan Pui Ying, Education Bureau Kwai Tsing District Senior School Development Officer, Li Mei Ying, Kwai Tsing District Home Affairs Senior Liaison Officer, Tang Yin Wah, District Councillors, Kwok Fu Yung MH, Chan Oi Yi, Chow Kit Ying, and other community leaders also attended. This performance showcased the school's educational philosophy of "student-centered education with equal emphasis on moral, intellectual, physical, social, and aesthetic development," providing a platform for students to unleash their potentials and shine.

 

Bit by bit we climb so high, step by step we reach the sky

The success of the English musical was not achieved overnight. In 2022, the school introduced three key elements of the Language Arts curriculum into English language teaching: Phonics for spelling and reading, a series of quest-like stories for reading, and integration of Readers' Theatre elements. These initiatives aim to enhance students' English literacy through interactive classroom learning. Additionally, the school organized the large-scale event English Festival - YY1’s Got Talents to provide a stage for students to showcase their English learning achievements. Students participated in English performance activities at the class level, with outstanding classes performing in front of the entire school community. Through drama, singing, dancing, and other performances, students displayed confidence and potential in a rich English environment.

 

English Musical Promoting Traditional Chinese Taoist Philosophy

The original English musical was themed around traditional Chinese cultural ideas, using English as the performance language to reflect Hong Kong's multicultural and international environment. Leveraging Hong Kong's multilingual environment, the musical aimed to promote the moral values of Chinese culture through the English language, showcasing the enduring wisdom of Chinese traditions to the world.

 

The musical was based on Chapter 64 of Lao Tze's "Tao Te Ching," with the theme "For each towering giant of a tree, a tiny bud it used to be," illustrating the principle that great things often stem from humble beginnings. The story followed the main character, Jack, born into a family of doctors but obsessed with artificial intelligence, believing that AI is sufficient for the future. Through a time-traveling encounter with his ancestors, Jack embarked on a transformative journey, ultimately realizing the importance of some core values: “With patience and consistency, great things come gradually."

 

Principal Kan Wai Hung took pride in the students' outstanding performances. He attributed their success to the unity and dedication of students and teachers, who overcame various challenges through rigorous training. He noted that the performance not only showcased students' talents but also their profound understanding of the "Tao Te Ching." The school aims to promote "Taoist education" through such musicals, demonstrating how the philosophy of the "Tao Te Ching" resonates in ancient and modern societies, thereby highlighting the value of traditional Chinese culture.

 

Appreciation from all sides and hopes for students to pursue excellence

The 45th-anniversary original English musical "The Way of Tao" concluded amidst roaring applause and cheers, leaving a lasting impression on the audience. Through students' dedicated performances and teamwork, the audience was immersed in the musical's transcendent world. The students' spectacular performances epitomized the spirit of "YY1" - believing that with everyone's effort, progress, unity, and pursuit of excellence, success is inevitable in the future.