???Nine Student Association (SA) clubs burst onto the Center for the Arts (CFA) Mainstage Theater Thursday night in a mix of music, lights and dance competing in the 2009 International Fiesta, "Faces of the World."
???Each group took the stage in a flurry of rhythm and sound, with the Japanese SA taking the top prize for their striking performance, silhouetting crisp movements against the orange glow of the stage.
???The entire show left the audience captivated. Each performance was met with enthusiastic cheers.
???Andrilisa Read, international coordinator for SA, put together this year's International Fiesta. Read introduced the show, stressing the underlying theme of diversity and appreciation for each other's cultures.
???"[Your culture] allows you to relate to people in ways you can't materialistically," Read said. "[Your face] is a road map depicting where you've been."
???The Indian SA came in second place, taking the stage amid the piercing screams of the audience to deliver a performance that was energetic from start to finish.
???This was Chirag Doshi's first year performing with the Indian SA. The group began practicing about three weeks before the show.
???"It was an amazing experience. All types of cultures were here rooting for each other," said Doshi, a junior medical technology major.
???Five emcees joined Read onstage, introducing the acts and keeping the audience entertained between sets. SA Treasurer John Martin won the night's award for top emcee, rocking out to his own short interpretation of Beyonce's hit song "Single Ladies."
???The Latin American Student Association (LASA) took home third place for their performance that showcased a tragic love story between an Aztec girl and a Spanish conqueror, set against the backdrop of slavery.
???"I really enjoyed the show. LASA had a nice story line, and JSA had a good sequence," said Anne Byrdsell, a senior communication major.
???All nine groups put on a good show, building on the success of previous years.
???"It was a lot more competitive this year and the clubs brought their best performances," said Nancy Yi, a junior business major.
???The African SA was the first group to take the stage, and began with a short narrative about the long line of kings and queens that represent their culture. They began practicing for the show at the beginning of the semester.
???"We incorporated dances from different countries of Africa, music from different countries of Africa... the whole point was to show the different faces of Africa," said Angelica Obi, a senior health and human services major who performed with the African SA.
???The Taiwanese SA was the next to electrify the crowd. The act began with the fluid movements of a female performer in a white dress. Two male performers thundered onto stage, throwing chains around the girl's neck in a performance that was both artistic and shocking. ???
???"The Taiwanese SA stood out [and] grabbed my attention," said Marlon Thompson, a junior accounting major.
???The Korean Folk Art Club (KFAC) performed to sounds entirely of their own making, the solid rhythm of their traditional drums grabbing the audiences' interest. One performer in particular wowed the crowd, using his neck to create increasingly intricate patterns in the air with a ribbon attached to the headpiece of his costume.
???"[KFAC] was one of the few groups banned from practicing most places on campus for being too loud," joked Josh Gardner, emcee and SA SISH coordinator.
???The Organization of Arab Students (OAS) entertained the crowd with belly dancing and fancy footwork. OAS performed the traditional dance Dabkeh, characterized by intense footing and stomping. At the end of the act, one of the performers spun on his head.
???During the Filipino American SA's performance, the male dancers entered carrying large wooden poles. The poles were laid out on the ground, and clapped together and against the floor as the girls performed an complex dance, stepping in and out of the pattern on the floor.
???The Chinese SA presented an elaborate, precise dance, incorporating fans and flags. Like LASA, the Chinese SA's dance included a love story about two people torn apart, a dragon weaving across the stage as the man lamented over his lost love. The real stars of the performance, however, were the two "lions" that kissed on stage.
???The show grabbed the audience from the opening act, and didn't let go until long after it had ended. Each performance underscored the event's message of celebrating different experiences and cultures.
???"There were no boundaries tonight," said Sean Young-Welch, a sophomore English major. "[The show] was a beautiful coming-together... sharing faces and cultures, and doing it with a smile."
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
