Wellesley Wushu members range from ice skaters to dancers, professional Wushu practitioners to those with never heard of Wushu before. Started by Debbie Chen in January 2008 for the sole purpose of performing at the 2008 CSA Cultural Show, Wellesley Wushu was a highly popular act. The team loved it so much that they decided to form a club and continue to perform. Wellesley Wushu practices and perf
orms contemporary Wushu, although they focus especially on the Taoist and Shaolin traditions. Both have spiritual underpinnings and promote physical as well as mental well-being. Since it was created, the team has performed at several Wellesley College cultural events such as the Pan-Asian Cultural Show, CSA Cultural Show, Shurti Laya, and Slater International as well as doing shows at Babson College, Spring and Fall Open campuses, Chinatown Afterschool Potluck, and President Kim Bottomly's Inauguration. In the spring of 2011, Wellesley Wushu put on its first solo show as an organization. What the Wellesley Wushu Team can do for you:
* Exercise: improve cardiovascular fitness, muscle tone and mass, flexibility
* Teamwork: group routines require a rigorous amount of cooperation to succeed
* Discipline
* Art: grace, posture, aesthetic, expression
* Performance and stage experience: learn not only to be comfortable and confident on stage, but also to connect with the audience and handle the spotlight
* Teaching Experience: not only a student, but also a teacher to fellow peers
* Leadership: take turns leading stretches, rotate calling in group routines
* Source of Camaraderie and Friendship, Open and Accepting
* Confidence: exercise and stage experience as well as just learning Wushu, which is often perceived as a difficult art form, endows you with a can-do attitude
* Positive Attitude: believe everyone can do this! The team genuinely wants to spread Wushu to all
* Wushu is very rewarding!!!
