Tonight was the FIUTS CulturalFest Performance Showcase, which is hosted by the University of Washington and took place in Meany Hall, the campus center for performing arts. FIUTS stands for Foundation for International Understanding Through Students and is centered around connecting students to local and global communities through programs that build international awareness and cross-cultural communication. This event is a time where students can showcase the traditions of their cultures.
The event started with some booths from various different nations that were a part of the FIUTS International Expo, which had taken place a couple days prior. Due to midterms, I was unable to make this. I knew I wouldn't miss this and even did some rearranging of my schedule to make sure I didn't! Before the event started, I had some time to walk around and check out the auditorium, too. So many people were here and all of them had a different background and story to tell!
The evening lasted a few hours and began with a video in the form of an interview about each group's history and a little bit about themselves. The first was Natya UW, who all performed a classical Bharatnatyam Dance. Their mission is to make classical Indian dance fun, exciting and incorporate this with elements of traditional contemporary American culture and Music. I loved seeing all of the groups and their vivid costumes, which were absolutely exquisite!
Following Natya UW, Dikir West Side performed to a Malaysian dikir barat, a musical form that is comprised of one or two main singers and a group of people, the awak-awak, who clap, move and sing along to the rhythm.
While their outfits weren't as colorful, the Irish Dancers at UW and their Irish step dancing showed off the routines that have been passed down form many generations of Ireland's many inhabitants: from the Celts to the Gaelics, the Normans to the English invaders. Being mainly Irish, I enjoyed the music and dance quite a bit.
Hussain Fadwani performed a traditional form of a Qawwali with a guitar that he believed helped to demonstrate his point that it is easy for music from different cultures to help mesh with each other.
Back when we lived in Colorado, we had a neighbor who was into Taiko drumming, a type of drumming that reaches back to its Japanese roots. I had forgotten about Taiko until Taiko Kai performed tonight and brought back many fond memories of hearing the Taiko drumming that I had experienced before.
One of the parts that I love about photography is that it brings me to places I might otherwise never go to or experience things I might never experience. Tonight is an example of that. While FIUTS was something I had heard about before, I never got a strong urge to go. Photographing the event for UW Student Life, I was presented with the opportunity to go photograph this event. I did some research and really got an understanding of how powerful this program is and how great an opportunity it is for all of these different groups to be able to showcase their culture. As a photographer, I stepped out of what I normally am comfortable with and got to experience this event first hand. It was an amazing experience. And the best part about it, I had backstage access to areas I never would have been allowed into.
My favorite image of the night was taken from backstage during the HKDC performance of a Chinese classical dance, which is elegant and soothing and an extension of a Chinese philosophy of roundness. This particular performance incorporated flower blossoms to show that "Spring is a joyous season when flowers blossom, yet we feel grief and sorrow when the petals fall. One's life is comparable to the seasons. One moment it flourishes like a flower, another it withers as the petals fall on the carpet of leaves. Moments in life go by quickly, and one should cherish them as the short-lived beauty of each season." (Excerpt taken from FIUTS CulturalFest handout)
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| I love the motion that is shown in this image. It is soothing and you can feel the effortless ability to move that these two have. |
Denná Good-Mojab, an Iranian vocalist, was next to perform Sarzamine Man as arranged by Iranian soprano Darya Dadvar). This song is representative of longing for a homeland fought with political conflict and strife.
From the USA, the Dogg Pound Crew performed their American breakdance routine and gave insight as to how breakdancing originated as a way to give high school students in "the hood" something to do to keep them away from gang-related activity and channel their energy into something positive.
The next performance was by the Karoun Dance Ensemble where they performed Tajik folk dancing, which originates from Central Asia including Tajikistan and Afghanistan.
While the other groups all performed awesomely, there's no discounting that the University of Washington Bhangra group brought the energy! For the entire routine, there was not a single part that was "slow paced." They performed an Indian Punjabi folk dance and incorporated elements such as flags and emphasized the colorful and upbeat style of dance.
To finish off the evening, Te Fare O Tamatoa performed a Tahitian dance and drum routine.
It is sometimes so easy to forget about what other people are going through or where they come from. It's amazing that an event like FIUTS CulturalFest can bring so many people together and emphasize the importance of cross-cultural interaction and encourage each group to embrace and learn about one another's culture. Through photography, I was able to experience a glimpse of this and I am so fortunate to have been allowed the opportunity to experience this at the UW.
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