Led by the Andover Korean Society, audience members at Saturday’s Asian Arts Talent Show warmed up with the “Korean National Stretch.” A YouTube video of an energetic Korean man marched the audience through intense back stretches, squats and more, though most audience members opted to instead exercise their abdominal muscles in fits of laughter.
The “Korean National Stretch” act marked the conclusion of a successful 25th Annual Asian Arts Festival. This year, the Asian Arts Talent Show showcased a diverse array of unique cultural shows, allowing the audience to have a glimpse into the vast world of Asian arts.
The Southeast Asian (SEA) Club put their own twist on a Vietnamese folk tale. Club members reenacted the creation story of the Milky Way, complete with narration. With elaborate face-paint work and improvised sound effects, the SEA Club brought to life a tale of star-crossed lovers separated by a silver river, or the Milky Way.
“I’m Vietnamese, so it was cool to see my country being represented. I think that’s something that really bonds everyone. Part of the Asian Arts Festival and the Talent Show is more than just to showcase [art], it’s also a way to unify just anyone who can sort of relate to that.… I could relate [the performance] to my childhood and growing up in Vietnam,” said Candy Chan ’17.
Alex Ma ’17 presented an ancient form of Chinese music with the guzheng, a traditional instrument. The guzheng, a plucked zither with movable bridges, was invented around 600 B.C.E. and has been a critical part of Chinese music ever since. Wearing a bright-red “qipao,” a traditional dress, Ma enchanted the audience with rapid runs and slower “vibrated” passages.
“I really hope to bring awareness of Chinese art to people, because it’s really amazing and unique…. Hopefully I succeeded in making people accept Chinese music. I think there can definitely be more exposure of Asian music.… Something that I really want to do while I’m at Andover is to work with an orchestra to create a fusion concert of Western and Chinese music,” said Ma.
The Indian and Pakistani Society (IndoPak) addressed a key issue of cultural identity with their skit, “But I Am American.” While the skit was lighthearted, it pointed out the detrimental effects of categorizing people into a single, often restrictive, cultural stereotype. Playing a victim of these stereotypes, Sara Kowdley ’16 ended the skit by insisting, “But I am American.”
The finishing flourish of the talent show was the IndoPak Dance, choreographed by Sharan Gill ’16. Members of the club danced to a strong beat in colorful traditional clothing, incorporating cultural dance moves into a more modern background music piece.
Shortly after the talent show, the night continued with the Fashion Show. Students modeled a range of different attire, while the significance and everyday use of the clothing were explained. Some students displayed a more casual form of traditional dress, while others presented more formal, elaborate costumes. The Fashion Show included garb from several countries, such as Japan, Thailand and India.
Avery Kim ’17, who represented Korea, modeled “hanbok,” a vibrantly-colored traditional dress.
“Pieces resembling this can be found in murals dating back to the third century B.C.E. It used to be worn as everyday clothing, but now it is worn ceremoniously, such as weddings, funerals and children’s first birthdays,” said Kim.
Organizers Aneesh Ashutosh ’15 and Rhaime Kim ’15 hoped the shows helped to educate students about Asian culture and cultural issues.
“In the U.S., many people prescribe the word “Asian” to put together a wealth of many different cultures. I hope Asian Arts Weekend helped students realize that Asian is a broad term. There are so many different Asian cultures that are represented at Andover, but not often explored. Asian Arts Weekend is one way that we, as Asian students, were able to share our cultural experiences instead of trying to assimilate into the larger American and Andover culture,” said Kim.
