ISO Cultural Show bursts the Middlebury bubble

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Friday, November 17th marked the 2006 unveiling of the ISO (International Student Organization) Cultural Show, "Around the World in a Night" - a cultural extravaganza showcasing cultural and ethnic traditions from around the world. The show is an annual crowd-pleaser, and this year, in response to popular demand, for the first time, ISO offered two shows: a showcase at 5:30 p.m., highlighting one act from each region, and the 8 p.m. main event. The night kicked off with a colorful fashion show as students strutted down the runway in striking national costumes from Asia, Africa, South America and Europe. Next dance numbers included Filipino Tinikling, Irish Step Dancing, Hawai'ian Hula, Chinese Ribbon Dance and Middle Eastern Dabke, followed by instrumental performances by the Persian setar and santour and the Scottish bagpipes, and finally with Martial Arts demonstrations and a video segment from the Dominicans and Puerto Ricans. Led by Cultural Show Chairs Nirvana Bhatia '07, Chi Zhang '09 and Clairis Mungwa Tsang '09, Bhatia highlighted the goals for the multicultural event:

"The annual ISO Cultural Show provides students with a chance to not only present their own traditions, but to explore the other cultures representated here at Middlebury as well. We hope that the show provides the community with a night of entertainment that exposes them to the practices of other cultures. At the same time, the show gives us students a chance to delve into our own heritages and produce a piece that is meaningful for us. For the most part, we don't go around dancing to Bollywood songs, or working out martial arts routines, so it's an opportunity for the students to learn something about our cultures as well. Furthermore, each act is open to any student, regardless of where they come from - that's why you have Venezulans in the Bollywood piece and Indians in the Filipino piece! The ultimate goal of the show is really for the students who are in it to have fun, to laugh, to bond with their fellow students, and for the audience to enjoy the splendor of the night."