Asian Nite features culture, tradition

The Jorgensen Center for Performing Arts was ablaze with cultural fusion Friday night as the Pan Asian Council entertained audiences with its 15th annual Asian Nite. The program is one of the biggest events for the Asian American Cultural Center, in which students showcase their talents and appreciation for their Asian culture.

Asian Nite kicked off with the introduction of the masters of ceremony; Kristine Din, Christian Riviera, Shally Sinha, Andrew Tan and Brian Wong Won. They kept the show moving with entertaining quips and bubbly personalities. After a few moments of silliness that included a rather impressive dance routine to "Single Ladies," the masters of ceremony introduced the first act, Ku Da Air Max.

Ku Da Air Max performed their break dancing routine for the first time on the Jorgensen stage. Their balancing stances paired with some modern hip-hop moves, impressed the audience.

Sam Hasan, an 8th-semester biology and molecular cell biology double major, followed with a soothing acoustic performance. Hasan is no stranger to the stage; he has been involved in many AsACC productions but Asian Nite is still his favorite.

"The response is great," Hasan said. "Asian Nite keeps topping itself every year and my favorite part is the response from the crowd; they are great, performing up there was great."

The next few acts showcased true culture and tradition in their performances. Pehla Nasha and the Loation Students Association each performed traditional dances while Maziar Aghvami and Arman Azimi represented the Iranian culture with their instrumental performance of traditional Iranian music. The Vietnamese Students Association brought a twist to the show with their skit about a princess overcoming boundaries to find love. Trix, aka, Johnny P, added even more variety and flavor to the show with two original raps, one of which he dedicated to his mom. How sweet!

Rounding out the first batch of acts were two impressive and creative dance routines. First was Surya, who performed a South Asian Classical Fusion Dance. They combined modern, hip-hop, ballet, and garba in their routine, which also incorporated the famous story of Peter Pan beating Captain Hook. The interesting story line and fusion of dance styles made this routine one of the most memorable. The last performance was called Tinikling; a dance by the Filipino American Students Association. The routine was a battle between traditional Filipino and modern hip-hop dancing. "The performances were really nice in the first half; I really liked all the cultural music" said Jeff Varughese, a 2nd semester mathematics major.

The second half of the show was just as entertaining. It started off with the intense performance by Uconn Taiko, which literally means "fat drums." A mixture of chanting and the Japanese drums made for a powerful beginning. To soften the mood, Elliot King and Amanda Friedman sang a duet of their original song called "Clarity." Pi Delta Psi and Kappa Phi Lambda displayed their sorority and fraternity pride in a step routine that had everyone cheering while Willis Zhao took the stage for the first time with an original song as well.

Another traditional dance was showcased by the Nepali American Student Alliance and A minor rocked the stage with their A Capella performance. The Chinese Undergraduate Students Association taught the audience the true story of how each animal was chosen as a Zodiac sign. Complete with elaborate animal costumes, they did not fail to entertain. The last performance of the night was perhaps the most high energy, upbeat and exciting, courtesy of Husky Bhangra. Always a crowd favorite, the Bhangra team performed another stellar dance full of intricate movements and energetic steps.