On the Schaeffer Theatre stage, students offered performances celebrating Asian culture as part of this year’s Sangai Asia Night on Jan. 24.
One floor below the stage, in the theater department’s scene shop, 乐播传媒 photographer Theophil Syslo had a pop-up studio at the ready, and he captured these portraits as each performer completed their act.
A Night in Bollywood
Sukanya Shukla 鈥�20 of Dehradun, India, and Anne Trapp 鈥�20 of Brunswick, Maine, members of the Bollywood Dance Team. (Theophil Syslo/乐播传媒 College)
笔别谤蹿辞谤尘补苍肠别:听Dancing to music from several Bollywood hits from recent years, including 鈥淣accde de Saare鈥� from Baar Baar Dekho and 鈥淐hogada鈥� from 尝辞惫别测补迟谤颈.听
笔别谤蹿辞谤尘别谤蝉:听The Bollywood Dance Team
What they’re wearing:听The women wear lehengas; the men, kurtas.
It鈥檚 鈥渂right colors in your face,鈥� says Armaan Mecca 鈥�21 of Chennai, India. 鈥淓very time we do Sangai Asia Night, we try to embrace the culture, so that’s why the costumes are sparkly and bright. If you were dancing in India or going to a wedding, this is what you would wear.鈥澨�
Dancing for Mom: 鈥淏ack home, there is a lot of Bollywood dancing,鈥� says Mecca. 鈥淚 was never really a part of it much 鈥� my family members dance, but I just never really felt the need to dance.听
鈥淥nce I was here, and I saw that 乐播传媒 celebrated Asian culture in such a way, I just knew that I had to be a part of it. The fact that it was Bollywood made it even more special for my family. Just watching videos of me do this makes my mum really happy.鈥澨�
Sharing History
Xuchong Shao 鈥�20 of Shanghai, who participated in the fashion show. (Theophil Syslo/乐播传媒 College)
Performance: Fashion
Performer: Xuchong Shao 鈥�20 of Shanghai
What he’s wearing: A traditional Han Chinese outfit, often called听Hanfu. 鈥�It is a way to relate myself to my ancestry and to the rich history that my country has,鈥� Shao says.
Going Gamelan
The 乐播传媒 Gamelan Ensemble: from top left, Antonio Heredia Soto 鈥�20, social sciences librarian Christine Murray, lecturer in Japanese Keiko Konoeda, Dan Colombo 鈥�21, Gamelan director Gina Fatone, Michael Lombardi 鈥�21, and Vanessa Paolella 鈥�21. (Theophil Syslo/乐播传媒 College)
Performance:听Gamelan, the percussion-heavy traditional ensemble music of several Indonesian cultures
Performers:听The college’s Gamelan Ensemble
What they’re wearing: 鈥淭hey鈥檙e central Javanese shirts that Gina [Fatone, an associate professor of music and the Gamelan ensemble director] got in Java when she was doing research there,鈥� says Michael Lombardi 鈥�21 of Kittery, Maine.
A group effort:听鈥淓veryone spent so much time preparing 鈥� they鈥檙e just really wanting to put on a good show,鈥� says 听Antonio Heredia Soto 鈥�20 of Stamford, Conn.
Talking Taiko
The 乐播传媒 Taiko Club. (Theophil Syslo/乐播传媒 College)
Performance: Taiko, a form of Japanese drumming. This group鈥檚 performance also involved dancing and chanting.
Performers: The 乐播传媒 Taiko Club. 鈥淭aiko is passed down through word of mouth, which is why I feel really honored to be able to pass down the information from all these years to the new members who are coming in each year,鈥� says member Noah Cowper 鈥�21 of Rye Beach, N.H.
What they’re wearing:听Traditional clothing of taiko drummers, including hachimaki (headbands) which feature the word 鈥渧ictory.鈥�
To the Beat
Ivy Nguyen 鈥�21 of Ho Chi Minh City and Sofia Esquibies 鈥�21 of Rocky Hill, Conn. (Theophil Syslo/乐播传媒 College)
Performance: Hip hop choreography to Chinese songs like 鈥淕on Xi Fa Cai鈥� by Higher Brothers
Performers: 2BEATS, the 乐播传媒 hip hop dance club. 鈥淭hese years, as Asian pop artists such as Higher Brothers are getting more and more recognition, this is an opportunity for us to show our support for these Asian artists and at the same time be proud of them,鈥� says 2BEATS president Judy Wang 鈥�20.
Full circle: 鈥淭his will be my last performance at Sangai Asia at 乐播传媒,鈥� says Wang. 鈥淚 started my dancing career four years ago. At Sangai Asia, the crowd really encouraged me to keep dancing, to join the group 2BEATS, and finally, this year, to organize 2BEATS. This is where I feel I belong at 乐播传媒.鈥澨�
Dancing in the Han Court
From left, Leyouyou Tang 鈥�22, Sijia Wang ’23, Sophia Zhang ’23, and Yun Zhang ’23. (Theophil Syslo/乐播传媒 College)
Performance: Dance听
Performers: Sophia Zhang ’23, Sijia Wang ’23, Yun Zhang ’23, Leyouyou Tang 鈥�22, all from China.
What they’re wearing: Traditional outfits from the Han Dynasty
Happy coincidence: Sangai Asia Night took place the day before the Chinese lunar new year 鈥� for some of the dancers, it was their first new year away from home.
Tying It All Together
Muhammad Ghasharib Ali Shoukat 鈥�20 and Martha Reyes 鈥�23, emcees of Sangai Asia Night. (Theophil Syslo/乐播传媒 College)
Performance: Emcees of Sangai Asia Night
Performers: Muhammad Ghasharib Ali Shoukat 鈥�20 of Karachi, Pakistan, and Martha Reyes 鈥�23 of Los Angeles 听
What Shoukat’s wearing:听Shalwar kameez, a traditional South Asian outfit comprising a long tunic and wide pants that narrow at the bottom. 鈥淭he important part of it is that my country鈥檚 flag is also green and white, so I鈥檓 representing that,鈥� he says.听
One last Sangai: 鈥淚鈥檝e always been involved in theater and production, so it’s just very natural for me to act,鈥� says Shoukat.
鈥淚鈥檓 using heritage to inform the people who come out to watch tonight鈥檚 performance about where I鈥檓 coming from.鈥�
