Feature: Kenyan student's mastery of Chinese dance inspires contemporaries

Kenyan girl Wynn Kendi created a spectacle at the University of Nairobi grounds on Friday morning as she made rhythmic steps while waving a brightly colored silk cloth.

The 21-year-old mandarin student at the university's Confucius Institute has won accolades from peers and tutors for her mastery of Chinese traditional and contemporary dance.

Born and raised in the Kenyan capital Nairobi, Kendi's love for Chinese language, culture and arts blossomed after high school thanks to exposure and sheer enthusiasm.

"I was riding in a public service vehicle when I spotted the signpost of a Chinese restaurant. The eye catching signpost was written in Chinese and I could not comprehend the meaning. This marked the beginning of my quest to learn Chinese language," Kendi said.

She enrolled for a Chinese language major at the institute in May 2014 and besides eloquence, Kendi is also endowed with agility that has made it possible for her to master both Kenyan and Chinese dance.

She benefitted from a one month scholarship last December to improve her proficiency in Chinese language and dance at a reputable university in China.

Kendi participated in the Chinese language proficiency contest for Kenyan University students held in May this year.

A growing number of Kenyan youth are passionate about learning Chinese language and rich culture. They gained exposure to the rich culture of China thanks to the influence of mass media and a significant presence of Chinese nationals in the East African nation.

Kendi is not only fluent in Chinese language but has as well mastered key characters. Kendi`s mastery of Chinese dance has created a buzz in Kenya's oldest university.

She noted that Chinese dance is soft, elegant and an instant hit to Kenyans who are used to aggressive dance moves. "I love silk dance and various types of opera. They are sentimental, rhythmic and authentic," Kendi told Xinhua.

Kendi's one-month stint in China last December improved her grasp of mandarin and traditional Chinese dance. She also interacted with a broad swath of the Chinese society while at the University.

"During my stay in China, I came to learn the people are very caring and warm. I loved the way people did exercise together while the food though different from ours was quite delicious," said Kendi.

She has benefitted from another Chinese government scholarship and will enroll at a university in northeast China this September to study mandarin.

"I hope my proficiency in mandarin will improve a notch higher and intends to learn more about the Chinese culture and cuisine. Likewise, I will try Chinese clothes during my stay there in September," Kendi told Xinhua.

Her future aspirations are to become an accomplished mandarin teacher and a translator.

Her tutors agreed the versatile young female student has a bright future given her quick mastery of mandarin and Chinese dance. Endi