Asian Culture Night thrilled the audience with numerous breathtaking and beautiful numbers showcasing the performers’ Asian heritage. The event, which featured numerous student musicians and dancers, was organized by the Asian Culture Club and took place Saturday, April 8 in the auditorium.
The night began with a traditional Chinese lion dance performed by seniors Alex Chin and Andrew Ding and sophomore Cal Miller. The dance was mesmerizing, including numerous impressive acrobatic tricks and upbeat dance moves. The costumes were especially marvelous due to their gold detailing and colorful components.
Junior Carrieanne Mamba, the vice president of Asian Culture Club, then led a tinkling dance which required participants to move two sticks on the ground as the dancers jumped and tried to protect their feet from getting trapped by the sticks.
Next, South Asian Club performed an upbeat dance entitled “Dhamaaka,” which was enjoyable to watch as it included both traditional and modern dance moves. The audience was amazed by the group’s intricately detailed formal wear and its seemingly effortless yet beautifully perfected choreography.
“We practiced a couple times a week for about a month and a half and it was such a great experience because we all grew really close to one another and had so much fun,” said sophomore Iman Sayeed, a member of the club.
Although Sayeed had minimal dancing experience, Asian Culture Night served as an opportunity for her to experiment with something new and make new friends. “I think people really liked our dance, which was pretty rewarding as well,” said Sayeed.
During intermission, junior Asian Culture Club officer Sheil Mehta shocked the audience as he took the stage and prom-posed to his girlfriend. It was a sweet, comedic way to start the intermission and made for a more personal relationship between the audience and the presenters.
Junior Thacher Andreae then graced with stage with a beautiful rendition of “I’ll Stand by You.” He played the piano effortlessly while singing exquisite high notes.
“Asian Culture Night is a joyous experience because you get to see people of all different backgrounds, not limited to just Asians, getting onstage and dancing, singing and playing their hearts out,” said Andreae.
“You see everything in the show, from traditional Asian dances to traditional songs and clothing in the fashion show, and you even get to dine on authentic Asian food afterwards which is prepared by very generous Asian mothers,” said Mamba.
Following the event, an assortment of Asian food was served, and the officers of the Asian Culture Club thanked their advisers and the audience.