Sheng Tang had seen much larger stages; she had experienced even more fans and even more enthusiastic atmospheres.
A theater with over a thousand people was a small scene for her.
She didn't even feel a ripple in her heart.
Many times, she also wished she could feel a bit nervous, like a normal young girl, able to be happy for a small achievement.
The lights came on, and the host announced, reminding her to take the stage.
She held the microphone, standing under the spotlight in the grand theater, and smoothly spoke in English: "Today I am doing a poem, titled 'Ode to the West Wind.'"
After she finished speaking, she began her recitation.
O wild west wind, thou breath of autumn's being,
Thou, from whose unseen presence
....
She used archaic English, which might sound a bit obscure to the audience, but the judges were experts in English language.
From the first line, they were struck, their hearts impacted by the beauty and power of the poem.
