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Printer-Friendly ModeInt'l students showcase talents
Sixth annual Intercultural Night features traditional music, dancing, fashion
April 2, 2007 —
Peace, love, and healing were the themes of the International Student Club's sixth annual Intercultural Night. Students representing eleven of the world's regions performed Thursday evening in a multicultural theatre, dance and musical experience, "Paint the World a Better Picture." Professor of Theatre Steve Erickson served as master of ceremonies for the event. The performers, dressed in traditional clothing representing their culture, took the stage in groups to share a bit of their heritage with the SVSU students and surrounding community attending the event.
SVSU student Jamey Latocki attended the event to experience the global flair of the entertainment.
"We know some of the people, but we thought it would be cool to see some of the countries, especially some you don't know a lot about," she said. "It was last minute, but worth the five dollars."
The first act, performed by students from China, Malaysia and Taiwan, was called "Sin City," a version of "West Side Story." Five vocalists, a violinist and pianist representing Germany performed "Die gedanken sing frei," or "Thoughts are free." Next, a soloist played the 'ud, a Middle Eastern string instrument. Following this, the group from Saudi Arabia entertained the audience with a Dabka dance.
Three dance numbers, the bachata, merengue, and then a raggaeton-style dance were performed by students representing Latin America.
The group from Nepal was then introduced by Erickson as "that very, very small country [from which] we've had a large number of students." Dancers performed to Sa Karnali, a famous song in Nepal and the traditional Chanba no Chanba. Shortly after, the French group took the stage.
Emmanuel de Lantivy, a French engineering major said the group used the Internet for inspiration.
"We started thinking of dance moves by typing in the song titles into YouTube and by improvising," she said.
The second act began with a choir, accompanied by a piano, which sang "Kimi-Ga-Yo", the Japanese national anthem. Next, the girls sang and danced to "Ue o Muite Aruko", or "I look Up when I Walk." The final dance was a repeat performance from last year, but audience interest was still apparent as they shouted along to the music during the traditional So-Ran Bushi.
Two dancers representing Belize and India then entertained the audience with two dances. Four women and four men then performed the Bhangra, a traditional Indian folk dance. Performers representing Africa then danced to Ndombolo. The final act of the evening was a group from North Korea entertaining the audience with a Samulnori, a type of traditional percussion music which has its beginnings in Korea. A soloist danced in the middle of this percussion piece.
The evening concluded with the performers entering through the rear entrances carrying flags from their home countries, all gathering on stage for a bow.