Spring Festival Gala holds 1st rehearsal

Inside our CCTV headquarters, as CCTV's Spring Festival Gala, the hotly anticipated variety show held on the eve of the lunar new year, is now in its countdown phase. With more than 700 million viewers globally, the grand spectacle has become an integral part of Chinese new year's eve celebrations. On Monday evening, the gala mounted its first rehearsal, with most of the performers participating. Our reporter Yuan Yani was at the scene.

A rehearsal meticulously planned.

The opening song gathers CCTV hosts from different channels. Although they are always at ease in front of the camera, being on stage for the Spring Festival Gala will give even the most seasoned hosts a case of the jitters. Among dozens of faces on stage, we found a quite familiar one.

For most of the hosts, their part on stage may last only 30 seconds, but each of them cherish the opportunity.

Zhu Xun, anchor, said:"My part is very very short, but I feel so happy."

The singing part of the gala has a lot of familiar faces. Singer Li Jian, Yang Kun and Na Ying brought their new songs. Besides famous singers, rising stars are also attracting attention.

Ping An, Xu Yina and Apusasa stood out from 36 talented performers in the "Spring Festival Gala Express" contest, duking it out for the opportunity to perform at the Gala.

35 year old Ping An emerged from the hit TV show "The voice of China". His melodious and strong vocals captured the hearts of many. But he said performing on the country's biggest stage won't be an easy task.

Ping An, singer, said:"We need to practice more. Each of us has our own characteristics, but this time, it's a team effort. Another problem is I'm not familiar with the stage set, so I don't know where to stand. But I'm sure it will get better in the following rehearsals."

In addition to singing and dancing, comedy sketches and cross talks are always the most anticipated parts of the gala. They will take up almost half the time at this year's show, and most of the performers are new to this stage. Eight winners from the CCTV Crosstalk Contest will show their faces for the first time; TV actress Qin Hailu will also give her first try at comedy at the gala show; and among them, the debut of cross talk comedian Guo Degang is creating the most buzz. His apprentices Cao Yunjin and Liu Yuntian will also give their own performances.

Martial arts is also an indispensable part of the Spring Festival Gala. This group of Kungfu performers are from Henan Province. They begun practising three months ago, and their original performance is much longer.

Kungfu performer, Tagou Martial Arts School, said:"We are from Henan Tagou Martial Arts School. Our performance is called 'Chinese Youths'. The original performance is ten minutes long. But the directors said that ten minute programme is too long for the Spring Festival Gala, so we gradually cut it down to five minutes and finally 40 seconds. Although it's very short, the directors said it's the most exciting and attracting act on stage."

Back stage, some performers have just finished their rehearsal, and now others are preparing to do their part.

Everyone is gearing up for the gala, which will be aired live on February 9th, the last day of the dragon year.