Mason Students Celebrate Diversity by performing dances from all over the world

BY AHMED FARID, STAFF WRITER

On Thursday, April 11, Mason hosted its annual International Week Dance Competition. Students from eight different organizations came together to showcase their culture by performing traditional dances from different parts of the world.

Guests were first greeted with a dinner featuring delicious meals from various countries, which helped the students get even more excited about the upcoming performances.

The event had two hosts, who started the show by welcoming the students and judges, and helped make sure that the audience was energized before the show even started.

The first team that got to perform was GMU Bhangra, who dazzled the crowd with both their bright clothes and incredible dance moves. After that came the Pakistani Student Association (PSA), who had the crowd dancing in their seats.

Next came the Bengali Patriots Association (BPA), who decided to add an exciting twist by performing an “epic love story.” The Nepali Student Association (NSA) followed the BPA and had the audience cheering so loud you could barely hear the music.

Nicolas Macotto/Fourth Estate

The intermission gave guests the opportunity to take a short break until the next performances, but the enthusiastic crowd did anything but that. Instead, students started a shouting contest, yelling the name of their favorite teams to see who had the most spirit.

Nida Mohamed, who came to support her friends in the PSA, wanted to make sure that everyone remained excited for her favorite team. “I loved all the performances,” she said. “Everyone so far has been unique, which is great, because it really shows [Mason’s] diversity. I’m still cheering for the PSA, though.”

When the competition resumed, the Indian Student Association brought the students back with an incredible dance. UrbanKnowlogy 101 (UK 101), who presented an incredible hip-hop dance, followed. The Afghan Student Union then came onstage to cheers from the audience. Finally, Mason Ke Rang, who have performed in competitions all over the country, gave the last performance of the night.

The NSA were chosen as the winners of the night by the judges, while UK 101, Mason Ke Rang and GMU Bhangra came in second, third and fourth respectively.

Although not all the groups could be crowned winners,  they all met the approval of the crowd by showcasing the amazing and diverse cultures we have here on campus.