International Show Highlights On-Campus Talents

MAURA GRIFFITH ’17
COPY EDITOR
On Friday, Apr. 15, the International House and S.A.I.L. (Student Activity, Involvement, and Leadership) hosted the 6th Annual International Cultural Show. Trinity students showed off their talents dancing, singing, and martial arts, showcasing various cultures. Despite numerous other events on campus, attendance was high. After each act, the crowd showed their appreciation with raucous applause and shouting. The Moveable Joints, who provided laughs in between acts, hosted the event.
The show opened, after an introduction by I-House president Mona Deng ’16, with a traditional Vietnamese dance and song. Audience members were treated to a Neapolitan arietta, “Io Te Vurria Vassa,” performed by Romulus Perez in a tribute to his father, a Bollywood dance, and a demonstration from Jui Jitsu Club members. This was followed by a performance of “Circle of Life” by the African Choir and the Accidentals, and a performance by the Shonda Steppers, among others. All of the performances were excellent, though several stood out from the rest.
Lucky Charms, Trinity’s Irish Step Dance team, performed a lively and impressive piece. Marilyn Dedrick ’17 and Haley Dougherty ’18 established the group last spring. Since then, the team has grown exponentially from two members to eight. Dedrick and Dougherty have twelve and four years’ experience, respectively. The captains explained that, “most of the girls have only a few years’ experience, if any, but we were able to learn a challenging dance.” With flashing feet accompanied by the dueling fiddles of Michael Flately’s “Warriors,” the dancers evoked a Celtic battle. The dancers traded moves, circling around each other on stage; their respective teams denoted by colored ribbons. The lighting and dark costumes helped set the tone of the dance. The dance grew progressively more intense, with step sequences increasing in complexity throughout. The Lucky Charms definitely stood out from the crowd; throughout their performance, the audience clapped along and demonstrated their appreciation for the fast moving dance. In case you missed it, the Charms will perform the piece again on Apr. 27 at Spring Dance Fest in Trinity Commons.
Two students, Jerold Beene ’19 and Mattea Sario ’17, debuted original compositions. Beene showcased his rap talents. Sario sang a biographical pop song she had written in the Funston Common Room during her time at Trinity. Mallika Khanna ’18 performed an Urdu song in the Ghazal style. Khanna described the piece as a “sensual” piece that described the separation between two lovers. How Come, a band comprised of AJ Ballard ’16, Pete Prendergast ’16, Max Fertik ’19, and Cooper Jennings ’19, played an acoustic cover of “Roses” by The Chainsmokers. Their performance featured an impressive solo dance from Isaac the Philosopher.
Elemental Movement closed out the show and demonstrated their depth of skills. Their performance used music from a number of countries such as Jamaica, Nigeria, India, Belgium, Brazil, and the United States. The dancers blended styles of dance with seemingly incongruous music styles, for example a ballet segment paired with a Belgian rap song, “Carmen.” Their transitions between pieces were sharp, with members seamlessly moving onto and off stage. Trinity College President Joanne Berger-Sweeney was excited about the team’s showing; she said, “It was great performing with such a close-knit team who pulled all the choreography together in such a short amount of time. It was an all-around super fun experience!” Elemental’s energetic performance brought the show to an exciting end.
The International Show excels by offering students an opportunity to show off their own culture and for other students to experience those cultures. Filled with laughs, music, and food, the International Show never fails to disappoint.