On February 1, 2025, a group of students from BASIS Scottsdale Primary East performed at the Phoenix Chinese Week festival.
Our students, ranging in age from first grade to fourth grade, delighted festival attendees with a martial arts performance titled “Spirit of the Serpent.” In honor of 2025 being the Year of the Snake, the performance celebrated wisdom, intelligence, and creativity.
The performance was an exciting drama that found the students’ fearless leader being attacked by dark forces. With the other students’ assistance, the dark forces were ultimately overcome! Over the course of the 30-minute performance, students showed off skills such as high kicks and breaking pieces of wood.
The performance was organized and choreographed by Jacky Jakeo, a martial arts teacher at BASIS Scottsdale Primary East. Our students were joined on stage by several adult members of Mr. Jakeo’s martial arts performance team Project Shinobi.
“Words cannot describe how much I appreciate the students and their parents for participating in this martial arts performance,” says Jacky Jakeo. “Our students worked hard, had fun, and it all paid off through their amazing performance! I also want to recognize Mr. Mason Waaler from BASIS Scottsdale for volunteering his time to assist us. Thank you to Project Shinobi for giving our performance action and lighthearted drama.”
Our students had a blast showing off their martial arts skills while celebrating Lunar New Year!
Following the performance, Mr. Jakeo led a special sword workshop for festival attendees, where children and adults alike were able to learn how to wield prop swords. We thank Mr. Jakeo for making this year’s Phoenix Chinese Week festival a truly memorable event for our students!
Students at BASIS Scottsdale Primary East practice martial arts as part of their PE classes. For more than a decade, BASIS Charter Schools have integrated martial arts into their physical education curriculum to help students build confidence, character, and well-being.
BASIS Scottsdale Primary East is currently enrolling grades K–4 for the 2025–26 school year. In total, the BASIS Charter Schools network has 23 campuses across Arizona. Each school follows the BASIS Charter School Curriculum, which enables students to master advanced content and prepares them for success in college.
We invite you to find your nearest school and take a tour to learn more about what makes BASIS the #1 tuition-free public school network in the nation!
