Hawaii
The light of the temple
Members involved: 100
The Hawaii Club kicked off the 2019 Culture Night with Alohilani Houseman, club president, giving the opening prayer in the Hawaiian language. The club’s performance was a tribute to the 100th anniversary of the Laie Hawaii Temple. Members of the Hawaii Club were dressed in white, symbolizing the purity and cleanliness of the temple.
One of their goals, said Houseman, “...is to focus on light.” In the introduction video, Houseman stated, “We hope to focus on how we can become lights to fulfill our potential.”
David Auna, a member of the Hawaii Club presidency, said, “I am more confident and feel stronger in my faith as I live my culture sharing our scriptures through the way my ancestors recorded it, through hula.”
The Hawaii Club, made up of about 100 members, filled the stage and danced a hula in remembrance and celebration to their ancestors, Auna said. The all-white costumes depicted the unity of the club.
Auna continued, “As a club, we wanted to portray that we love and remember those who came before us. We truly do reap the benefits of all they did and the sacrifices they made. We dressed the way we did to show that the temple is our ultimate goal in this life, and we strive to follow the examples of our ancestors who made many sacrifices in order to receive the blessings of the temple.”
Japan
Tradition and modern life-through dance
Members involved: 50
Japan Club members took the stage with a “Super Smash Bros” introduction. They performed a mixture of traditional and modern dance. The women of the Japanese Club performed a special dance traditionally done as a memorial for the dead. They used a traditional Japanese fan, known as a “sensu.” The dances were choreographed by Momoko Muramoto, a sophomore from Japan studying social work.
Muramoto said, “Our goal was to show the audience what kind of dances, both traditional and modern, that we do back in Japan.” She said she used this as her inspiration in preparing the choreography for the performance.
The performance, said Muramoto, was a great opportunity for all of the members of the club to become more unified and better fulfill the club’s mission statement, “... to build unique relationships that would not only last here but even in the future.”
Though Muramoto choreographed the dances, she said, “The club made many decisions as a group, and this really brought us closer to one another. We were able to work together, have fun, and show true Japanese culture through dance.”
Afro World
United in differences
Members involved: 32
The Afro World Club represented those of African descent and wanted to unify the differences of those who have grown up in different places around the world but are still connected at their roots.
Toni Shipp, Afro World Club vice president, shared, “The dance is just going to showcase the whole variety of dances that have come up from around the world. But what’s cool is there’s a lot of similarities between them because of our roots.”
They danced a total of 18 different dances including Latin, the Bachata from the Dominican Republic, and Salsa. According to Jaquline Morris, Afro World Club president, audience members asked the club why they danced so many varieties of dance if their club is centered around African culture.
She explained, “That’s the whole point! We wanted to portray all of the different cultures that are experienced and lived by those whose roots come from Africa. Africans are not only found in Africa. That’s the point we were trying to get across.”
The members of the Afro World Club were united through their matching T-shirts, but each person showed their uniqueness by wearing different accessories representing the various regions where African culture is found.
Morris added, “The shirts featured the continent of Africa, which was made up of little graphics that represented African culture. You’ll see pictures of head wraps, little African trinkets, animals, and much more.”
China
Ancient to modern
Members: about 50
The China Club performed a mixture of ancient, traditional and modern dances. According to Luo Xi Lin, a freshman studying TESOL from China, “China is full of rich culture, yet many people only think of the sights and the food when they think of China. We wanted to display to them that dancing such a big part of the culture in China”
The China Club did four dances and each showcased a different time period in Chinese culture. Club members chose to include a modern dance along with the traditional dances in order to show that China has rapidly progressed and grown into a modern country.
The China Club opted for costumes that were simple in both color and design to showcase the props that they were using, according to Lin.
She continued, “For the ribbon dance, however, it looks much prettier with a fancy costume. We used ancient designs for our costumes and wore white so that the red ribbon would pop more.”
As the dancers finished their final number, they gathered together in a special formation. Lin said, “If the audience doesn’t speak Chinese, they would never know, but our final formation, or ending pose, was a Chinese character. It was the first character of the word ‘China’.”
Aotearoa
A piece of Laie
Members involved: 130-150
The Aotearoa Club filled the Cannon Activities Center with their voices as more than 130 people chanted and sang original music. They focused on the traditional elements of Maori culture and language. Elijah Wanoa, a senior from New Zealand majoring in political science and hospitality and tourism management, explained, “The traditional things we incorporated were the use of poi for the women, the haka, and the different actions like the wiri.”
The original music, composed by Aotearoa Club President Chesser Cowan, a sophomore from New Zealand majoring in intercultural peacebuilding, and other students from New Zealand combined several different elements of Maori culture. Cowan shared, “The first number was a mashup of haka, waiata, poi. There were all these different fields. There were all these different aspects of performances.”
Focusing its performance on the 100th anniversary of the Laie Hawaii Temple, Cowan explained they drew inspiration from their ancestors who came through Laie. “It brought me back to not only our Maori ancestors, but our other Polynesian ancestors came through Laie. It had the only temple outside of the [mainland].
“They were coming to this place of refuge, spiritually and physically, and then they went back. A piece of Laie went with them, but a piece of them still stayed. That’s what I wanted to portray in that song. We are that part of Laie for our ancestors. We have come to call this place our new home, and when we go back home, Laie comes with us.”
Hong Kong
Sharing traditions
Members involved: 50
The Hong Kong Club used its performance to teach its traditions to new performers. Johnson Yu, a senior from Hong Kong majoring in exercise and sport science, explained, “The lion dance was kind of different. Normally we have one lion, but this year we had two lions. The original [lion dancers] wanted to teach the new guys how to do the lion dance. We had two pairs of people. I asked Dr. Phung to get one more so they can perform at the same time. This way the new guys could learn from the old guys. It was like passing the tradition to the new people.”
The club began by members flipping red and white cards, which Yu explained, “Was counting down from 10 to one. It was my culture and my language.”
They also shared the traditions they have in Hong Kong. Yu said, “We had the bun tower. Every year around March or April we have a bun festival one hour away from Hong Kong. The bun satisfies the gods. They can feed the gods, so they're happy and they won’t bother the people. People climb to the top because they believe whoever gets to the top first will get peace for the whole year.
“Everything we performed this year was tradition. We have traditional dances, but we don’t have people who know how to do it. The dragon, lion, and the bun tower are local to Hong Kong. At the end, I just wanted them to know this was the traditions of Hong Kong.”
Melanesia
Unity in individuality
Members involved: 18
Representing Vanuatu, the Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, and Caledonia, the Melanesian Club incorporated elements from each country into its dance. Nia Lani, a sophomore from Vanuatu majoring in information technology, explained, “Each one of [our dances were] unique because they were all from different countries… We wanted to make sure we had a taste of each of the island countries.”
Lani shared how the Vanuatu dance “symbolizes no matter which of the four countries we come from, we are all one.”
The Solomon Islands dance represented the love between couples, the Papua New Guinea dance was all about the energy it takes to dance with them, and the Caledonia dance featured its only member from the country.
“Those who have partners danced with their partners, but those who did not have partners wore flags. Those who had partners wore their leaves,” described Lani. “For the shirts, we let everyone choose what color they wanted to wear. We didn’t say PNG’s wear this or Vanuatu wear this. Our mission statement for the club is building unity, and I feel like if we separated the colors to the individual islands, it’s [separation]. We let people choose what made them feel comfortable. At the end, that is all that matters.”
Mongolia
Honoring the past
Members involved: 42
Mongolia displayed pride in its country with a video prior to its performance showing the culture of Mongolia and how it has changed over the years. The video then focused on the Church in Mongolia, featuring President John S. Tanner and his wife, Susan Tanner, Church leaders, and missionaries in Mongolia.
Narantsatsral Ganzorigt, Mongolia Club vice president, explained during the intro video, “In our dance, you will see Genghis Khan with his wife and others honoring him in the dance. Once he conquered half of the world. After every victory, he celebrated with his family and soldiers with an event known as Naadam.
“Naadam is one of the Mongolian traditional holidays, which is competitions of archery, wrestling, and horseback riding. What we are trying to do now is bring Genghis Khan’s time to this stage by sharing this dance with you.”
Also during the performance, six women danced with five bowls balanced on top of their heads, removing and replacing them as they moved around the floor.
Tahiti
Peace and freedom
Members involved: 80
According to Day-J Pendant, a sophomore from Tahiti majoring in Pacific Island studies and president of the Tahiti Club, “The first dance was the haka. The main god was summoning all the elements because he was looking for someone to take care of specific items. He asked the elements to talk about it and to find something.
“The second dance, which is called otea, is a fast dance. We were fighting with each other to find a garden. Then the god was in the middle of the circle, and he was telling them to stop. This wasn’t what he wanted them to do. Then he explained and they decided to have peace and to reconcile.”
Pendant continued, “The slow dance, the aparima, was representing the peace and the freedom the peace brought. In these dances, they are talking about the manu, which is the bird, which in Tahiti is a symbol of peace and freedom. To celebrate our reconciliation, the last dance, the pa’o’a, is where we were celebrating together by dancing and singing together.”
Pendant said people in Tahiti watched the performance via live stream. “They were like, ‘You were awesome because you were beautiful, you were smiling, and everyone was having fun.’ The Tahitians here say that as well. They were really proud of it, and they were really happy with it.”
Indonesia
Mainland Connections
Members: 35
Indonesia’s national motto, “Bhinneka Tunggal Ika,” which means unity in diversity, was the motivation behind the six Culture Night dances by club members from the country made up of 17,000 islands and 655 languages, according to its introduction video.
Debora Putri Wijaya, a freshman from Nevada majoring in TESOL, said, “We chose to represent six of the different Indonesian islands to give the school an idea of how different each culture is, but at the same, show how similar each is as well. Each island may be different and have different cultural aspects, but in the end, we are all one.”
Wijaya continued,“When I first joined the Indonesian Club last semester, I kind of felt weird because I didn’t grow up in Indonesia like everyone else, and I don’t even know the language very well. But by being a part of Culture Night, I was able to spend more time with everyone, and I felt like they didn’t care whether I knew their language or grew up in the same place as them.
“Even though I grew up in a completely different culture than the majority of the club, being with them just felt right. Back home, my family was the only Indonesian family in my stake, so I never really interacted with other Indonesians. Because of Culture Night, I feel I can be a new version of myself, a version that has exposure to what makes me different from everyone back home and that has connected to others who share the same history as I do.”
Gamers
A Place for Everyone
Members: 13
Jordan Donaldson, a senior from Arizona majoring in communications, said his favorite part of the Gamers Club performance was the gamers' new-found self-awareness.
“They know they aren’t good at dancing particularly, but they still wanted to show off what they’re all about, which is having fun together. The guy dressed up as Mario just did the same dance move over and over again, which I feel embodies Mario as a character, simple and fun.”
In the introduction video before its performance, Club President Kristen Conrad, a senior majoring in English from Washington, said, “I think the most important thing I wish for people to understand about our culture is there is a place for everyone. Whether you come with people to play with or you come alone, we just want to make sure everyone knows there’s a place for them.”
Brett Douglas, a senior from Maryland majoring in social work and the vice president of the club, explained, “Through the song, we hoped to connect both old and new, and just like the song we hoped experienced and non-experienced members can create bonds through it. Not to prove stereotypes, but the majority of Gamers Club cannot dance.”
Fiji
Small and Simple
Members: 97
Fiji took the stage at Culture Night with dances contrasting the roles men and women have in the country made up of 333 islands.
Errol Qaqa, the Fiji Club vice president, said in the introduction video during Culture Night that the females danced the “meke iri,” or the “fan dance,” which represents the femininity of the Fijian culture and their responsibility as matriarchs in the home.
He added the males danced a ‘vakamalolo,” which shows the fierceness and boldness of Fijian warriors.
As Fiji Club members danced the “meke iri” and “vakamalolo,” the cheers of the crowd filled the CAC. Ron Chand, a senior from Fiji majoring in accounting and marketing, said, “Because of the love and service-oriented attitude most Fijians have, they are very well known to the students and facilities. Thus receiving such an awesome welcome from the crowd.”
He added it was rewarding seeing his people perform. “People of Fiji come from humble backgrounds. We are a small nation filled with great dreams. The Culture Night was one way we brought those dreams to life and showed the world our uniqueness.”
“You know how they say, ‘by small and simple things, great things come to pass.’ Fiji is a small and simple island that has the heart to make great things come to pass,” shared Chand.
Taiwan
Cultural similarities
Members: 26
Genie Chiao, the Taiwan club president, said in the intro video for Culture Night she wanted Taiwan's performance to show why people should study cultural history. “Our culture defines who we are. If we forget our own culture, we will lose our identity because this culture is just like our parents that take care of us since we are little.”
The theme of preserving culture was a component of Taiwan’s performance. It began by acting out a classroom where the teacher was lecturing on the indigenous people, the Sediq.
As the performance progressed, the club members acted out the Sediq fighting as a village was invaded by a group from another country. Those who died in the battle then crossed a rainbow bridge, which symbolizes passing to the next life and being reunited with ancestors.
Trish Cahigas Mora, a freshman from Singapore majoring in elementary education, said she related to Taiwan's classroom scene even though she is from Singapore.
“The classroom scene studying about the aboriginals was something I could relate too. The school culture was the same as Singapore. It felt like I was back in school.”
She added Culture Night is a way to learn how cultures are intermixed, and people do not have to be exclusively associated with a culture to connect with it.
Tonga
Overcoming organizational obstacles
Members: 105
Tonga Club Vice President Penisimani Lautuselu Taumoepeau, said in the introduction video played at Culture Night, “We tend to forget about who we came from and then who we are so dancing brings a sense of responsibility, covenant, and reminds you of who you are and what you're obligated to.”
He also said since Tongans are descendants of voyagers, which was evident in their performance, specifically with “Me’etu’upaki,” which is a prayer to the gods, and “Milolua,” which is a depiction of a covenant between the king and god.
Tiera Tu’ikolovatu, the Tonga Club president, said, “We are the Island Kingdom, the last monarchy there, and so it's important to be able to share that with the future and to go out into the world and show people who we are as Tongans.”
Before Tonga performed, there was trouble starting the club’s music track. Although Tu’ikolovatu said it was stressful and confusing, the fact she was not planning to be the president of Tonga Club this semester she said was more of a challenge than the musical difficulties.
“I got a phone call that said if we don’t have a name submitted by noon, there will be no Tonga Club. I was like you are kidding. I am not even a Tongan from Tonga. I am just a Tongan from America. I don’t even speak Tongan, but I decided to take the responsibility of leading the club.”
She said it was a learning process organizing Culture Night, but due to the students in the club, her stress was reduced.
Latin America
We are one
Members: 35
Latin America Club members went back to their roots, starting their performance by displaying a flag that was half Portugal and half Spain, as a narrator explained the history of colonization in Latin America. According to Katja Scheel Lopez, a senior majoring in hospitality and tourism management from Guatemala and Latin Club choreographer, “With all the immigration issues, Latins are seen as something bad right now in the U.S. We wanted to show we are not that different… At the end, we are one. Latins, Americans, Asians, and Polynesians are all one.”
Following several traditional Latin dances, the performers ended dancing and waving flags of various Latin American countries to “We Are One” by Pitbull. They were wearing shirts designed to match the colors of the Venezuelan flag and held up a banner that said, ‘Dedicated to Venezuela.’
Lopez explained, “With everything that has been happening… I thought, ‘How can we help?’ It’s been bringing awareness. I noticed… no one really knew what was going on. They didn’t even know where Venezuela was. Maybe if we dedicated our performance in Culture Night, people would be more aware.”
Of the 35 performers for the club, “There are very few Latinos here,” explained Saba Ramirez, a senior majoring in communications from Ecuador and Latin Club vice president. “There were maybe three or four Latinos in the performance. They were from Fiji, Tonga, Taiwan, Mexico, the Philippines, and many Americans.”
Australia
More than noise
Members: 21
Just more than 20 people made up Australia Club’s performance, but its small numbers did not keep club members from having a big impact. During its performance, the club called for a minute of silence, in remembrance of the victims and families of the recent Christchurch, New Zealand shootings.
According to Elijah Lemusuifeauali’i, a sophomore majoring in Pacific Island studies from Australia, “I think it really sent a message. The fact we wanted to remember those who had been affected by that event, but as well as a sense of Australia is here. If you looked at our performance, we weren’t a big number like Samoa, or any of our Polynesian cousins. I think it speaks volumes that we were able to do that.”
Mahonri Eteru, an undecided freshman from Australia, said, “It’s not just the noise. It’s not just the dance, the here and now. It’s about what happened, what will happen and who was affected by it. It’s seeing the bigger picture.”
The club’s performance brought to light the culture of the Torres Strait Islanders, Australia’s lesser-known indigenous population. Eteru, a Torres Strait Islander, said, “Through our dancing and singing, we tell about history, the weather, the land, and the people. I think no one really knows about our people. It’s a hidden culture. A lot of people don’t recognize Australia is the oldest culture in the world. There’s a lot of things people don’t know. This performance was to showcase something not known or understood across the world.”
Ballroom
Doing hard things
Members: 32
The Ballroom Club took the floor and performed five dances, each representing a different decade. It began with a waltz from the 1700s to “Hushabye Mountain,” followed by a tango from the 1890s to “Phantom of the Opera,” after which they performed a swing dance from the 1920s to “Ain’t Got No Home.” Next came a cha cha from the 1950s to “Let’s Get Loud.” Its final dance was a hustle from the 1970s featuring “Dancing Queen.”
Jolene White, a junior from Maryland majoring in intercultural peacebuilding and president of Ballroom Club, said, “We wanted to do dancing through the decades because last year we did dancing through the cultures. My presidency and I decided we wanted to do songs from each of those decades… The dances were a little more difficult to learn this year than in previous years. I really liked the collective energy. When you work so hard to put something like that on stage, the energy and adrenaline that goes through you was my favorite part.
“For the swing song we did, I had five of the couples do lifts, which is not something that we’ve done in the past. Usually, we have one couple do lifts who we know are good at lifts. I wanted to help the students feel like they can do hard things. I noticed a lot of positive responses from my club members who said this semester was so good, and it felt like a family.”
Thailand
Beauty, strength and power
Members involved: 18
Thailand brought an energy that Kris Krisanalome, a junior from Thailand majoring in music performance, said was different from anything club members experienced during their practices. “It’s totally different in practice. It’s different because the room is smaller, but the actual stage is really big. We had more energy during the actual performance, with the lights, the crowd, and the intro videos. It gave us chills and we felt more powerful during the performance.”
Explaining the inspirations and meanings behind the performance, Krisanalome explained, “We used blindfolded boxing. It’s actually a thing in Thailand. When we have fairs, like a state fair, each event would have the same boxing with blindfolds to make it funny and entertaining.
“The [costumes were] related to architecture and Thai patterns they put into the fabric. It has their values in it, reminding us who we are, and values of beauty and strength. It represents strength and power. If you noticed the crown one of the performers wore, it had a kind of flame representing fire to represent strength and power.”
He continued, “The dances are from four different parts of the country. In Thailand, we have the North and the Northeast, which are different. They have different dialects. We mixed them together with the Center and the South… One song was the theme of the performance where the female performers come and perform as a group, and then they switch with the couples or another group.”
Hip-hop
Bridging boundaries through dance
Members involved: 30
The Hip-hop Club came on stage with lots of energy and excitement. Its mission statement, shared in the opening video, is “to learn how to dance hip hop, gain confidence, and make friends that cross intercultural boundaries.” Hip-hop Club does not represent a geographical area but rather a piece of American culture that has since spread to many other cultures.
James Constantino, president of Hip-hop Club, said about hip-hop, “It’s helped out a lot of other people just to become more comfortable with themselves and grow closer to each other.”
The club members choreographed and performed a total of five dances. Halston Wood, a senior from Idaho studying TESOL and a member of the club, said, “We had a few simple steps in preparation. We would first learn the dance, then perfect it, add formations and finally polish it off.”
Wood added, “Some of our favorite moments as a club were in the crunch time moments leading up to the big performance. Even though we are all so different, we came together so much during those times and you could just feel the unity we had as a club. It was awesome.”
Singapore/Malaysia
Live it or lose it
Members involved: about 45
The Singapore/Malaysia Club performed traditional songs and dances. Club President Sharon YinFong Yeap said in its opening video, “It’s important for us to live our culture because you either live it or you lose it.”
Its first performance was a song called “Sabak Pulai” meaning, “we cry for them to come back to us,” according to club member and choreographer Rizal A Takin. “The song was dedicated to all those who may have lost someone,” he said. The audience swayed to the soft tune and held up lit cellphones.
The following dance was known as “The Dance of the Death.” The dance represented a war, and props such as shields and swords were used to depict the battle. Those dressed in yellow represented the warriors while those in red represented the enemy. Towards the end of the dance, one performer was hoisted on top of the bamboo stick and was twirled around by other dancers on the ground.
“This was the most difficult and technical part of the dance. The bamboo stick was slightly bent and the dancer on top had to be doing specific moves, so it had to be just right. This part is so vital to the dance because it represents the victory of the head warrior and the respect of the other warriors towards him,” said Takin.
With just two hours per week to prepare, the Singapore/Malaysia Club leaders said they worked hard to make the most of the time they had. Takin shared, “We inevitably faced challenges and rough spots throughout our journey. It was very stressful sometimes. However, we grew more unified as a club and ended up accomplishing our desired result.”
India
Dance, Song, & Drama
Members involved: 21
Vaishali Kilaparthi, India Club president, shared the club’s desire to share the true culture of India through its performance. “We really wanted the audience to be able to see and feel what the culture of India is all about,” said Kilaparthi.
Kilaparthi explained, “Our original plan was just to perform a few Indian Bollywood dances, after all, that is what everyone is familiar with when it comes to Indian culture. After thinking about it more, we concluded that India is more about drama, and the songs and dances are really there to support the drama and storylines.”
Vidya Irene Tamang, a member of the club, choreographed the dances performed by the India Club. Tamang had the idea to add the storyline within the dances, and she created the narration performed by the club. Within the narration of a love story, the club performed different dances and songs.
According to Kilaparthi, “Culture Night was one of the best events so far that we’ve been a part of as the India Club. It was so much fun, and we really enjoyed each practice session leading up to it. We grew closer to one another, worked to overcome challenges, and it really helped all the members of our club grow good relationships with one another.”
Philippines
The friendly Filipinos
Members involved: 130
The Philippines Club showcased the Filipino flag in its costumes. Club members were dressed in the flag’s colors; red, blue and gold. According to Mark Lois Eyo, president of the Philippines Club, “Red represents courage and royalty, blue represents peace, and gold represents something of value. We wanted to incorporate and showcase these colors because they show what we stand for.”
The club had its costumes made in the Philippines and shipped to Laie. Eyo shared, “The Monday leading up to Culture Night, the costumes hadn’t even left the country yet. They shipped them out Tuesday, and they arrived Friday before the performance. We still have no idea how it happened, but it was our miracle.”
Eyo concluded, “Our finale was one of our favorite parts,” when the performers gathered together and went crazy. “We wanted to portray that the Filipinos just want to be everyone’s friend. We are fun people to be with. We wanted the audience to see that the people of the Philippines are happy and want to be there to help out everyone in times of need.”
Cook Islands
Friendliness and the moon
Members: 105
Krysten Tuufuli, a junior from the Cook Islands majoring in art, said although there are less than 10 students who came to BYUH from the Cook Islands, they still had a strong showing at Culture Night, due to their friendly culture.
“Us Cook Islanders like to make friends with a lot of people. There is something about the Polynesian cultures. We are all connected in one way. Some of us performed for Fiji and Tonga. I performed for China, and a Chinese girl was performing for us.”
Tuufuli said this was her fifth Culture Night performing for the Cook Islands. She said it was one of the best years because they were organized and music technical difficulties did not faze them.
During the introduction video, Vice President of Cook Islands Club Gina Napa, described the club’s performance. She said the song “Arapo,” is about the moon because Cook Islanders used the moon to plant or farm and for catching certain types of seafood.
“We wanted to represent the Cook Islands as a small nation but shining brightly just like the moon within Hawaii.” She said its slow performance called “the Kapa Rima,” is a representation of women and how they can be the light within our community.”
Cambodia
Coping by dancing
Members: 13
Secretary of Cambodia Club Pattica San, a sophomore majoring in business management from Cambodia, said dancing at Culture Night was a dream come true because dance has been how he managed hard life situations.
“Culture Night was a privilege for me to express myself through dance. In Cambodia, I was a dance teacher in the orphanage. We performed for the tourists and guests who came to the orphanage. It is great to come back to dance for Culture Night.”
Although San said he does not like to dwell on the past, he added, “It is hard to live your dream because you have no parents to support you and the orphanage is too poor to send you to do something you want.”
Despite those hardships, San said he was blessed when he came to BYU–Hawaii and he was hired at the Polynesian Cultural Center after showing the employer a Cambodian dance. Now being able to share the dance that provided him with opportunity, according to San, is a great privilege.
“One of the purposes, why we created Cambodia chapter in BYUH [, is] we want our voice to be heard because we are the minority of the minority. Sometimes we feel the minority has little voice and no cares for us, so that is why we wanted to perform at Culture Night.”
Kiribati:
Easing homesickness
Members: 36
Along with drawing from ancient ancestors, gods, the earth and the sea, performers from the Kiribati Club said they were motivated to put on a unique show at Culture Night because they missed home.
Kimberly Tetabwa Tokanang, a freshman majoring in political science from Kiribati, said she was grateful from being born in a unique country.
“I am deeply grateful for that opportunity and have to say that practicing and performing enables me to cope with homesickness, like any other student. I don’t feel small though, as Kiribati is known to be of small islands. I felt big.”
“Our unity and inclusiveness have made me prouder to be I-Kiribati (person from Kiribati). Giving my all during the performance is one demonstration of my strong spirit and pride. Performing reminded us of our unique culture and taught me, and the rest of the students of Kiribati, especially those who have never danced before that night, to unite and respect others.”
Korea
Traditional to KPOP
Performers: 39
Contrasting modern to ancient, Young-Ho Shin, the Korea Club vice president, said in the Korea Club introduction video club members were performing to KPOP songs (from Blackpink and BTS) and doing a traditional Korean dance.
“We wanted to show the different beauty in of the past and the present culture. I hope you can pay attention and enjoy the difference between the performances. You will see one common theme that there is beauty coming from unity.”
Creating solidarity by showing the different forms of dance, according to Nagyeom Jung, a senior from Korea majoring in communications, was a difficult undertaking due to a lack of performers. She said just a few of students participated in the performance because students are were busy.
She added, “School policy does not allow people who are part-time students or community participation. It is too bad that they want to join it, but they could not.”
Despite those observations, Jung said she loved performing KPOP songs to an audience that has not be exposed to many elements of Korean culture.
Samoa
‘Plan B’ costumes
Performers: 170
“Being a leader is not easy but teaches me a lot of great experiences,” said Afatasi Afualo, a senior from Samoa majoring in political science. Afualo is the president of Samoa Club and led many of the chants as Samoa closed Culture Night.
He said he was involved with trying to fix the problem that occurred when their costumes did not arrive. “It was a tough journey preparing for Culture Night. This year our uniforms didn’t arrive, and we had to come up with a ‘Plan B.’
“Our presidency talked and decided to buy lava lavas from town. It ended up working well. We thought this performance was better than last year and the year before because our members were very dedicated and committed to participating.”
Leilani Tafili, vice president of Samoa Club, said in the introduction video they were performing four traditional Samoan dances.
One was the “fa’atau pati,” known as the Samoan slap dance. “It is performed by males only because it requires strength and stability. It was invented because there was an invasion of mosquitos to the islands where the men slapped off the mosquitos off of them when bitten.”
Tafili also discussed the sasa, or a group dance. “It is performed in sitting and standing positions, and it requires energy and enthusiasm.”