Wharton Journal

Issue date: 4/9/07 Section: News

On Thursday and Friday evening of last week, over 300 Wharton students and partners joined together to perform dances, songs and skits in celebration of cultures around the globe as well as the diversity of our student community. The show, a tradition at Wharton for over half a decade, was performed on both nights to a packed house at the Annenberg Theater.

It was a remarkable event, and a successful celebration of everything that makes Wharton unique and fun. For those unfortunate souls who weren't there, we have tried to sum it up here. Reasons why it was a show not to be missed:

Just because you aren't Indian doesn't mean you can't do the light bulb dance: Preston (recruited from Dance Studio) Taylor's exuberance in the "Love China" dance was infectious, and the yellow, white and red costumes were a nice complement. Gloria Sun bravely took on a male role in the Bulgarian Folk Dance, hoisting her partner and shimmying down with the best of them. Serah Lee, Jen Feinberg, Grace Kim, and Sarah Boehm in "Wharton Andaaz" from India, showed that they could get down, cross-cultural style. These are just a few examples of students courageous enough to try something entirely new. That was perhaps one of the most fun aspects of the show - the multiculturalism found within each of the different cultural teams.

The Korean Fan Dance was a dreamy display of magenta feathers and yellow silks undulating on stage. The dancers wove flowers, waves and wonders with their fans and brightly colored frocks. The stunning neon pink and white blonde wigs of the dangers in "Welcome to JAMROCK!" while the Israeli "Ehad Mi Yodea" (Who Knows one) displayed a row of chairs arranged in a half moon on stage. One of the Israeli performers, Tal Slobodkin WG '08, commented, "We tried to present a dance that represents the connection between the Judaism and the modern identity of the Israelis the way we see it, based on an amazing performance by one of Israel's most prominent dance groups."

Dancers moved in unison and gradually threw their clothing into a pile in the middle of the sages starting with their shoes, then ties, then shirts, finally revealing white t-shirts with the Israeli flag. The happy crowd whistled and cheered with each disrobing. Wharton Andaaz, led by Rachna Butani, featured 37 first years overflowed the stage - the men in white kurtas and women in a spectacular array of colors.

Learning how young people do it in Japan: "Para Para" from Japan, described in the program as "a popular Japanese solo dance...everyone does the same moves at once". The girls, wearing schoolgirl uniforms (plaid skirts, white button downs) and the guys, wearing all black uniforms and afro Mohawks, led the audience in a tightly choreographed dance that could be Japan's answer to the Macarena.

Being Amazed by Rhythm: The Indonesian Saman Dance was performed by a row of kneeling dancers weaving their arms in intricate patterns accompanied by chanting and clapping. As the music went faster the moves became only more complicated. Whalasa Bateria was an extraordinary display of the percussion and the thirty performers on stage was imposing.

The show was amazing, from the array of performances to the diversity of performers. It was a wonderful opportunity for Wharton to celebrate the many cultures within the walls of Huntsman. Race relations may not be perfect here, but it is uplifting to see that we can appreciate and learn about each other's backgrounds. Traditions like WICS are among the most valuable that we have at Wharton. Congratulations to everyone involved in this year's performance!

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