After countless hours of preparation, the annual International Fiesta lit up the Center for the Arts Friday night.
Dancers exhibited their culture and heritage with specially choreographed performances and handmade outfits and props with this year's theme, "Around the World in a Night."
"It is a competition between the clubs, but in the back of their minds, they are performing for the students... showcasing the diversity here at UB," said Student Association International Clubs Coordinator Ashish Abraham.
The Japanese Student Association won first place for the second year in a row, as dancers wore traditional face paints and kimono robes. Dressed in pink and black, performers acted on a mystical theme. Sea nymphs faced fierce conditions at sea forced on by the god of the sky.
This year, International Fiesta also featured eight clubs in a dance competition, and according to Abraham, the Fiesta has come along way from the one-day affair that it used to be.
"Just three years ago, the International Fiesta only consisted of performances in the Student Union lobby," Abraham said.
Now, it's a week-long event with festivities leading up to the big dinner and dance competition.
"This year I changed Fiesta a little bit, but my council did not want to too much," Abraham said. He said the event is "one of the few traditions that the University at Buffalo and the Student Association continue every year."
Fourteen international clubs provided food, with more than 45 dishes ordered from local restaurants including Gin-Gin, Koreana and Mohti-Mahal. For five dollars, these plates were made available to the line of people that wrapped around the side of the Student Union Social Hall.
Entr?(c)es included pampushky provided by the Ukrainian SA, Baklava from the Turkish SA, Polish Sausage and much more.
"I liked the sour cabbage," said Lisa Flowers, a junior communication major who enjoyed the dish provided by Chinese SA.
The night gave an opportunity for people to eat items from various countries.
"It's a great opportunity to taste different cultures," said Jenny Akbar, a junior geography and marketing major.
After the dinner concluded, a huge line formed in the CFA.
"The show was sold out in fourteen hours. That is 1,500 tickets, one per person," Abraham said.
Six emcees kept the crowd sharp and entertained throughout the night.
Impulse Dance Force, with choreographer Jason Valentin, performed to a mix of popular songs including Ciara's "Goodies" and Justin Timberlake's "SexyBack."
Competing international clubs came out individually to cheers and applause. They donned face paints, alluring traditional garments and flags as performers exhibited native types of dances. Choreographers brought the traditional dances up-to-date, adding new moves and making them their own.
The Korean Student Association worked together with Folk Art Club in a presentation of traditional drumming. Fashioning banners, Korean flags and traditional hats with spinning ribbon tops called Sangmos; they marched to Poongmul drumming that followed the chimes of gongs.
The Organization of Arab Students presented a collective dance that featured Arabic belly dancing and Palestinian line dancing called Dabkeh. The belly dancing was elevated by the accompaniment of fast, rhythmic drumming from a drummer on the side of the stage.
The Taiwanese Student Association's first year in the show began with performers holding a stance until music cued them to move two at a time. With face paint and colorful crowns, they were unrecognizable. The presentation was made complete with a traditional lion dance and a modern dance by the females of the group.
The Latin American Student Association wowed the crowd as the curtains rose to reveal a green background and the performers dressed in nude colored outfits and paint. A primitive and wild environment was set by the music and dance, as LASA placed second in the competition.
The African dance piece that followed represents the African people who were brought to the regions of Latin America and the Caribbean as slaves by Europeans. The whole dance was a small representation of their past and the celebration of their future.
During intermission, the audience shared opinions about the performances.
"The TSA performance was pretty hot. LASA had a great fusion of cultures," said Eric Hillery, a senior psychology and English major.
Joni Keith, a sophomore psychology and economics major, agreed.
"I liked the way the tango people drove off the others on the stage," Keith said.
After the intermission, the audience was presented something extra: a performance by Rhyson Hall and Grand Phee.
The Indian Student Association's performance followed. Choreographers Krithika Sekar and Mallika Raina explain that the performance was a fusion of traditional Indian dances with a new form.
"It starts off with traditional Indian instruments. There are three traditional dances with those instruments. Bharatanatyam, Garba Raas, and Bhangra are completely traditional. Toward the end of the dance everyone is going to mix for fusion in dance off," Raina said.
The Filipino American Student Association presented a dance inspired by their 2006 Barrio Fiesta, a collection of many kinds of traditional dances including a tribal dance and a coconut dance. Fighting with wooden canes led into a segment of Tinikling where performers showing off their fancy footwork which led into a marching segment.
The Bangladeshi Student Association showed off their roots as their members belly danced to traditional music. Their performance included a rap about the hardships in Bengali.
After JSA danced their winning routine Macedonian students danced a fast-paced routine keeping the audience engaged as they waited for a decision from the judges.
"I thought it was awesome. I have never been to it before. I thought the ISA should have won... It was very original," said Jessie Zak, a sophomore biomedical sciences major.
There were mixed feelings among those who watched the competition about who their favorites were but there was a general feeling about the show.
"The fusion of cultures is awesome. This is my fifth year and it only gets bigger and better," said Solamen Samuel, a graduate geography major.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
