UB is the SUNY school with the largest international population, and harmony among the various backgrounds is crucial. But once a year, UB's international and American students come together to compete and showcase their cultures in the International Fiesta.
The Chinese Student Association (CSA), Malaysian SA (MASA), Japanese SA (JSA), Filipino SA (FASA), Indian SA (ISA) and Latin American SA (LASA) will compete in this year's International Fiesta at the Mainstage Theater inside the Center For the Arts. And although the competition is fierce every year, the camaraderie within and among participating clubs trumps animosity for a night of dance, music and pride.
International Fiesta began as a food event in the '70s with a small dance presentation and has grown into a major event throughout the years, according to SA International Coordinator and senior mathematics major Theresa Cervantes.
Every year, the competing teams are presented with a theme, which have included "Culture Shock," "Global Kaleidoscope" and "Around the World in One Night." This year's theme, "Love," although simpler in concept, gave way for each group to present what the word means for their respective cultures.
Last year's winning dance group, FASA, feels the pressure to win a second year in a row, but according to senior psychology major and FASA member,Althea Guiao,success doesn't lie in tangible rewards only.
"[Members are] always looking forward [to Fiesta] because they love having the late night practices together," Guiao said. "They say, 'Oh yeah, it's stressful but we're still with our FASA family.' Someone [posted] a [Facebook] status about that today."
The reigning champs hope to proceed with their tradition of unique twists, which they believe helped solidify the top spot last year. Instead of a traditional love story, they plan to present a darker version of this year's theme.
MASA's three choreographers, Tien "Alicia" See, Jason Goh and Mahisha Naidu, used love as an opportunity to show peace within the multiracial nation of Malaysia.
"We are trying to show that the three main races [of Malaysia] - Malay, Chinese, Indian - can work together to protect our country and maintain harmony," said See, a senior music major.
With a club membership of over 100, it was no obstacle to recruit dancers, according to MASA president Heng "Adam" Jung Hee. The true obstacle lay in organization and time management of approximately 50 dancers that will represent MASA this year.
"We have a label for that; it's called Malaysian timing," Goh said.
Not every group is fortunate enough to have such a large dance group, however. JSA's 11-person dance troupe, though small, shows the same heart as its competitors.
JSA historian and Fiesta choreographer, junior business major Aline Kobayashi, prepared a routine that focuses more on the passion within this year's theme, along with influences of Japanese culture such as the Samurai.
"You'll feel a lot of emotions that you feel when you're in love. You feel rage, you feel fear; you're sad, you're happy. Each [of our dances] has a different emotion," Kobayashi said.
And while each group is vying to win International Fiesta, the overwhelming theme among the choreographers and e-boards is what the event means for their members.
According to Naidu, many members with no prior dance experience join the International Fiesta team solely to exemplify their culture. Both Diyanna Richard, a senior biology major and MASA secretary, and Jung Hee believe that although their performances bring relief, they also bring faint sadness that Fiesta is over.
Kobayashi believes the late night practices also help JSA members create a strong bond that lives long past the annual dance competitions.
"I danced in Fiesta as a freshman ... but I made a lot of friends and memories that even today I laugh about thinking back," Kobayashi said. "I made friends with people from Japan who I'm still close to today. That's my favorite thing about Fiesta. Because you practice every night, you kind of suffer together, so you create a bond you wouldn't create anywhere else."
Also performing this year will be seven exhibition acts, including Asian American Student Union (AASU), Vietnamese SA (VSA), UB Breakdance, Korean Folk Art Club (KFAC), UB Zeal, Saung Budaya and Random Nation.
According to Cervantes, free undergraduate tickets sold out on Feb. 15. However, at time of press, $7 tickets are still available at the CFA.
Email: arts@ubspectrum.com
Photo: Mhdariby / Wikimedia Commons
