Chinese yo-yos are whirling and twirling every week at Naperville North High School, thanks to the school’s Chinese Yo-yo Club.
Two students create the Naperville North High School Chinese Yoyo Club
“About three years ago, two of the students came to me. They had been training with Chinese yo-yos on their own outside of school, and they wanted to bring that club experience to the students at Naperville North,” said Jo Berg, sponsor of the Naperville North High School Chinese Yoyo Club.
Those students, Cherise Lee and Mika Chang, have been stringing together moves with Chinese yo-yos for six and 11 years, respectively.
“This sport or art or toy, it’s really flexible. It developed as a leisure toy back in the old dynasties in China, but it also kind of evolved separately in Europe,” said Chang, co-president of the Chinese Yo-yo Club.
What is a Chinese yo-yo?
Unlike traditional yo-yos, this one involves two sticks, a string, and some coordination. With constant tugging, the yo-yo spins continuously, allowing the user to toss, catch, and perform various tricks.
“Physically, it’s a perfectly balanced object where there’s an axle in the middle and these cups on the side. In the old days, they used to be made out of wood because that was the most accessible material. Separately, the diabolo kind of developed into this more sleek design where it’s more flat, and they use new materials. I started out learning the Chinese yo-yo, and we slowly moved on to the diabolo, but it’s interchangeable,” said Chang.
Naperville North High School Chinese Yoyo Club open to all experience levels
To get things rolling, the club meets every Thursday after school to practice for performances. Berg said members ebb and flow between 20 to 30 students of all experience levels.
“I’ve seen some people in our club who are very hesitant at first. They’re like, ‘Oh, I can’t get it to spin. This is going to be so hard.’ But then after a year, you’ve seen them grow so much, and you feel so accomplished as a leader, mentor, [and] teacher,” said Lee, co-president of the Chinese Yo-yo Club.
The students said they have taught people of all ages and skill levels, so I put them to the test.
Though I failed at first, after some coaching and patience, I was able to catch on.
“Seeing how everyone develops into their own style is really unique to this sport because you don’t get to do that with everything. Just seeing how it grows to be another extension on their own personality is really rewarding as their teacher,” said Chang.
Performing at local festivals and events
The club has showcased its talent at several events, including Naperville North’s Multicultural Show, the Moon Festival at Pacifica Square, and the Lunar New Year Festival at Fox Valley Mall.
“This is such a great opportunity for people to not only learn about Chinese yo-yo but to also put themselves out there in a different way, in a performance aspect,” said Lee.
With a little practice and a lot of spin, the students are keeping the fun in motion.
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