Second grader wins title at one of biggest international urban dance competitions

Second grader wins title at one of biggest international urban dance competitions

2023-01-09

A Taiwanese second grade student has won big at the Battle Pro Series in France, one of the biggest urban dance competitions in the world. The student is Nana, who competed in the baby battle event for children under 12. His well-executed power moves wowed the audience and the panel of judges, beating out opponents from Ukraine and Japan.

He feels the beat and gets straight into it: a high-complexity power move combo, that makes the crowd and commentator go wild. The B-Boy is Nana, a second-grade student from Taiwan who can clearly dance up a storm.

Nana recently competed in the Battle Pro Series in France, in the U-12 group. In the first battle, he was up against Gor from Ukraine, who started off his throw down with some clean floorwork. Nana one-upped him with whirling headspin variations that got the crowd hyped. After two sets, Nana was proclaimed victor and moved to the next round.

Nana’s next battle was against Orion from Japan and he did not hold back. A long drilled headspin followed by a series of criticals was more than enough to clinch the championship title. Teachers back at his school in Taiwan say they are overjoyed.

Yang Chih-chin
Elementary school principal
He’s just in second grade, so it shows that he has put a lot of mind, physical effort and time into it.

The second grader shone bright at the international competition, defeating breakdancers from all around the world. Nana did not shy away from showing off all his moves, brought about by hard work and practice. The young B-Boy has a bright future ahead to make the world his own.

台灣之光小二生林李納遠征法國街舞大賽奪冠

2023-01-09

來自基隆中興國小二年級的小朋友，林李納，遠赴法國參加BATTLEPRO街舞大賽，面對台下觀眾和各國好手毫不怯場，高難度的地板動作，讓現場驚呼連連，經過多輪對戰，林李納，擊退來自烏克蘭和日本的選手，拿下冠軍。

跟著現場節奏律動，接著一連串的高難度地板動作，讓主持人和現場觀眾看得驚呼連連，來自台灣就讀國小二年級的林李納，一出場，表現就令人驚豔。

林李納日前遠赴法國參加BATTLEPRO街舞大賽，參加12歲以下組。第一輪對上，烏克蘭小朋友，對方一開始就展現精湛的地板動作，林李納也不甘示弱，以連續頭轉大風車迎敵，讓台下觀眾超興奮，經過兩回合激戰後，主持人宣布NANA挺進下一輪。

林李納下一輪，對決日本選手，使用渾身解數，連續加速頭轉，起身後，再接著一連串的地板動作，讓他順利贏下，法國BATTLEPRO街舞大賽冠軍，消息傳回學校，師長們都替他感到相當開心。

[[基隆中興國小校長楊志欽]]
“目前才是二年級的小朋友而已，所以表示他在這方面付出了很多的心力跟體力還有時間，才得到這樣子的好成果”

國小二年級就在國際賽場，拿下好成績，無懼各國好手，而且面對台下觀眾也毫不怯場，除了良好的先天條件，加上後天努力，相信未來林李納能夠闖出，屬於自己的一片天地。

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A draft bill by the KMT calls for cash handouts of NT$10,000 to be distributed to the public before the Lunar New Year. However, one KMT lawmaker says that issuing payments that soon is impossible.

Alex Fai
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If we finish the legislative procedures before Jan. 19, then the money will probably be issued after the Lunar New Year holiday.

So far, planned options for issuing handouts include distribution at post offices, through ATM machines, or direct transfers into bank accounts. If the latter option is used, the government will need to set up a system for members of the public to enter their bank account information. Distribution through the post office or ATMs would require coordinating with Chunghwa Post and banks and the administrative work to make that happen could take time.

You Si-kun
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The legislature’s position is that it will absolutely do its best. As to whether payments before the holiday are possible, I’m not sure.

Local print media has alleged that the rush to distribute the funds was due to President Tsai Ing-wen’s initial hesitations about the cash handouts. However, the issue of handouts was first made public on Jan. 4 by Premier Su Tseng-chang while he was inspecting Tsengwen Reservoir.

Su Tseng-chang
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At the national security meeting held on Dec. 31, Tsai made a clear decision that a portion of the surplus would be split between emergency-use funds and payments to the public. She also requested that the Executive Yuan draft a plan for the money and then announce the plan when appropriate. We’ve been doing all the work involved with this one step at a time.

Su says that Tsai had already discussed the cash handouts with him and other officials internally before he had made the comments.

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Defeated in the Taipei by-election, Enoch Wu thanks those who supported him

DPP Taipei by-election candidate Enoch Wu was defeated in Sunday’s election, but lost only by a narrow margin to Wang Hung-wei. On Monday, Wu was back out on the streets thanking those who supported him. Afterward, he posted to Facebook saying the fight wasn’t over, leading many to believe Wu may run again in the next legislative election.

After five weeks of hard work campaigning, Enoch Wu failed to secure the Zhongshan-Songshan constituency seat in the Taipei legislative by-election. However, his supporters encouraged him not to give up, and to continue the fight in 2024 at the next legislative election.

Enoch Wu
Defeated Taipei by-election candidate
I want to express my great thanks to everyone. I lost the election yesterday, but my first step for today is to thank everyone who came out and supported me. This time we lost by just a small amount. My hope is for everyone to notice our persistence, and to realize that we are on the right path.

Speaking to reporters Wu made no specific mention of whether he’d run again in 2024. However, in a post to Facebook he wrote: “Our work won’t stop due to a failed election. We still have lots of work to do and policies to promote. I ask that everyone continue to support us as we proudly move forward.” The post has been seen as confirmation that Wu will run again.

Wu lost to rival Wang Hung-wei from the KMT by only 5,780 ballots, and in Zhongshan District Wu came out ahead by 840 ballots. Overall the two differed by only 4.99% of the votes – a much narrower win over Wu than that had by Chiang Wan-an in the previous legislative election. In a radio program following the election results, Wang had remarked that Wu was a formidable adversary.

Enoch Wu
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My adversary defeated me yesterday, so I congratulate her. Our defeat this time around means we didn’t do a good enough job.

Despite his electoral defeat, Wu was out in a campaign truck Monday bowing and thanking supporters in his constituency.

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Ninety-year-old Lee A-tao beams from ear to ear and gives us the thumbs up. Her son, daughter-in-law and a dedicated team of nurses have brought her for a visit to her beloved hometown.

Son of Lee A-tao
My mom came here when she was just about 12 or so. She lived here many years.

Daughter-in-law of Lee A-tao
Earlier, when Grandma was in her 70s, she always went to swim at Tofu Cape.

Lu Shu-hua
TVGH Su-Ao Branch Hospice head nurse
Grandma has been living in our nurses’ home long-term. It’s been too long since she came back to visit her hometown. After chatting with Grandma, we hoped to help her make her dream come true.

Lee lived in the town of Nanfang’ao for many decades, and loved to walk along the harborside admiring the sea. She was also a keen wild swimmer. But in recent years, she developed heart disease and moved to the hospice at Taipei Veterans General Hospital Su-Ao Branch. She hadn’t been home to Nanfang’ao for two years, until her nursing team decided to help fulfill her wish to go home once more. This special vehicle was arranged, and an entourage assembled, so that Grandma could make a daytrip.

Lee was happy and animated as she took in the familiar harbor view, as well as a newly built bridge, thanking the team again and again. Some of the nurses shed a tear or two.

Lu Shu-hua
TVGH Su-Ao Branch Hospice head nurse
I’m so happy that many of our colleagues have voluntarily taken part in this trip today.

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The care which the nurses have for older people is really touching.

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We are optimistic about post-pandemic recovery. This year we have plans to expand in north, south and central Taiwan. In the first quarter, we expect to expand into 50 new locations.

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The industry has been affected by the reopening of international borders, of course, as well as the 10-day Lunar New Year holidays coming up, and Peace Memorial Day national holiday. So looking at the first quarter, industries based on domestic demand will have more desire to hire staff, creating more growth in domestic industries than in export industries.

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An elementary student in Yilan is making waves with her exceptional storytelling skills. Sixth-grader Peng Yi-hsin is a student with limited vision, and she visits kindergartens to share comic stories with younger kids. Peng is almost blind in both eyes and reads using Braille. That sometimes means studying takes more time and effort than for other children. But Peng is determined not to let it stop her from doing what she loves. She likes to tell stories and sing, and hopes to become a psychologist when she grows up.

The storyteller holds a bee in one hand and a bear in the other. She brings their voices to life vividly and the story roars along.

These little children are watching everything closely. They can see the performer isn’t reading from a script at all, she memorized the story, using lots of different voices and impressive storytelling techniques. Currently a sixth-grader at Sanxing Elementary in Yilan, Peng Yi-hsin has nystagmus, meaning her eyes move involuntarily. She is almost blind in both eyes, but she won’t let that get in the way of her dreams.

Peng Yi-hsin
Young storyteller
I might be slower than other people. At least I take longer than others. Other people know something as soon as they look at it, but I have to touch it. I use Braille.

For Peng’s classmates, a story is just a glance away. But for Peng, learning to read Braille through her fingertips is a slower and harder journey. Still, her school grades are outstanding, and in her free time, she likes to sing in a choir, and take part in public speaking competitions. She even makes visits like this to kindergartens, to meet smaller children and practice her storytelling skills.

Huang Hui-wen
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When she encounters difficulties, she sometimes says she feels discouraged. And she sometimes says she doesn’t want to study. But I always speak to her encouragingly.

Tao Tsung-cheng
Sanxing Elementary principal
Her attitude is very positive and constructive, and she doesn’t give up, in any area. She’s an excellent role model for the other children.

Peng says that when she grows up she’d like to be a psychologist. Then she can help other people with conditions like hers, or similar difficult circumstances in life. For now, she’s in storytelling mode. The classroom is full of laughter, and no difficulty is the final chapter.

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