Tyerra Rooffener, a Chinese-American girl who lives in Shekou in Shenzhen’s Nanshan District, made her way last week into the semifinals of a national children’s Chinese opera contest, reaching a new milestone in her performing career.

    The contest is organized by “Li Yuan Chun,” a popular Henan Satellite TV program that promotes the culture of Henan opera. The 8-year-old Rooffener impressed the judges and audience members with her versatile performances.

    She sang “Hua Mulan,” a Henan opera piece about a legendary Chinese heroine, in English, performed a Beijing opera and demonstrated a song-and-dance duet, a popular style in northeastern China. The judges called Rooffener a unique contestant who blended Chinese and Western cultures in her performance.

    Born in the United States, Rooffener moved to Shenzhen in 2006 when she was 18 months old. She is now a student at Xuefu Primary School in Nanshan.

    Rooffener has participated in many talent contests and appeared on television programs including CCTV’s popular “Super 6+1” and the 2012 Spring Festival Gala of Hunan Television.

    Rooffener began formally studying Beijing opera last year.

    Rooffener’s mother, Zhang Xiaoxu, told Shenzhen Daily that Rooffener is proficient in Chinese and English and often translates songs into both languages and sings them to amuse the family.(Anne Zhang)