AsACC Celebrates Cultural Diversity

The Asian-American community at UConn used its music and dance to celebrate their culture on Saturday night at the Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts during Asian Nite '08. For the 14th year in a row, the Asian American Cultural Center with help from the Pan-Asian Council, worked to put on a fantastic display of Asian heritage. Hosts Tina Kim and Rickinder Grewe led the audience through a night filled with entertainment of all kinds and a clear message about the importance of having pride in your ancestry.

Dancing took center stage at the event. From traditional cultural dances to modern fusions and hip-hop, there was dancing of all sorts everywhere and it was a sight to see. Kappa Phi Lambda and the Male Asian Cultural Society (MACS) battled it out in a step routine that was fun and lively. Set in detention, both groups went back and forth to prove who could out dance the other. The ladies of Kappa Phi Lambda turned heads with their sharp, fast-paced movements completely in sync while blindfolded. Not to be beaten, as the lights came on the MACS revealed themselves adorned with white masks and gloves as they stepped together in a fierce routine. In the end the battle was a draw as both groups stepped their hearts out. It was clear the performers were having a great time on stage and the audience loved watching them.

The Nepalese Students Association put on a traditional, yet intriguing performance. Dressed in rich reds, golds, blues and greens, they glided across the stage in what seemed an effortless fashion that created a truly beautiful vision.

Showcasing their culture's unique dance, the Filipino American Students Association put on a great performance. Male dancers wore head dresses and sarongs as they moved across the stage with wooden poles. Meanwhile, the women put on quite a show by balancing woven baskets and stacked pottery atop their heads. If that was not enough, they also danced while continuing to balance, never dropping a single basket or pot.

Adding some spice to the show, the Iranian Association performed a sultry cultural dance that got the audience shaking their hips along with the performers.

Many of the performances incorporated traditional and modern music which really excited the audience.

One of the most highly anticipated groups of the night, Husky Bhangra, certainly lived up to the hype. They performed a traditional Punjabi dance, but modernized it by mixing in music like Jim Jones' "Ballin" that got the audience moving along with them. Dancers were constantly moving, sending the crowd energy through the roof. The invigorating music was pounding so hard - it was as if you could actually feel their dance.

"Husky Bhangra put on a great show - their music was good and they were just really exciting to watch," said Kumail Zar, a 2nd-semester business major.

Another performance which fused classical and modern dancing was UConn Surya. At first it was their stunning red and gold attire that caught everyone's attention, but once the music started it was the combination of fast footwork and elegant arm movements that mesmerized the audience.

In a more modern number, AsiAN-IMATION worked the crowd with a choreographed hip hop routine followed by breakdancing set to Michael Jackson throwbacks like "Thriller" and "Smooth Criminal."

Goondas and Gulabis ended the show with a Bollywood-based, hip hop-infused number. From the fast, rhythmic dancing to the dazzling costumes and invigorating music, the act was a great way to end the show.

Besides dancing, performers of all different mediums came out to show off their stuff. Singer and guitarist Sam Hasan opened up the show with a cover of "First Time" by Lifehouse which really got the crowd going. His act finished with a ballad accompanied by a sea of cell phones waving in the air and a slew of "I love you"s from the audience.

Johnny Phothisarath worked the crowd over with his rhymes, especially his last track which spoke about making a change: "When the day breaks / I'ma put it back together my way."

The co-ed a cappella group A-Minor kept the audience energized near the end of the show with their unique renditions of classic songs like "Life is a Highway" and "Joy to the World."

UConn Taiko showed off their instrumental abilities with their drum performance. With dramatic sweeping arm movements, they struck the drums with fury and purpose, which made the performance intriguing to watch.

Adding to the variety of entertainment, the Vietnamese Student Association put on a modern-day Cinderella skit that was funny and included some well-done dance numbers.

On a more serious note, Quynh Tran's spoken word performance of Jennii Le?s "I Am Not Vietnamese" was both powerful and poignant. Her words about what it really means to appreciate your culture and the importance of being proud of where you came from were incredibly moving, causing many audience members to stand up and applaud.

The night was packed with entertainment from dancing to singing and everything in between. It was evident from the quality of the performances that groups worked hard to put together a great show and that it had all paid off. It was also evident that attendees had learned about Asian culture from the event, which is what host Tin Kim said she had hoped for.

Contact Joanna Arpie at Joanna.Arpie@UConn.edu.