Tonight you’re going to take a trip around the world without ever having to leave Sheboygan County,” Jen Siebert, director of international programs, said. Indeed, it was a night around the world with 26 countries being represented on Lakeland’s annual International Night event.
The hosts of the evening were Alex Dudek from Japan and James Trazile from Haiti. They introduced the acts, but it was hard to understand them at times because of the sound system. They did try to keep the crowd entertained during the slow transitions and technical difficulties, but it seemed they were unsure how to do so at times.
The night started with a short performance by the Greek life groups on campus. They performed a dance to the Harlem Shake. Some of the people were wearing masks.
CJ Chen then sang a song in Chinese.
Latin America was the next stop on the trip around the world with a mix of dances. There was also a storyline developing during the performances. The story was about passion, infidelity, power, and comedy.
Traditional and modern African dances were performed next. A group of women performed a step dance first and then the men and one woman went after them with a traditonal Ghana dance called Azonto. They were accompanied by African music.
Rick Dodgson went next to represent the United Kingdom by singing a few songs. Before the performance, he put on an “English” outfit, which consisted of the British flag, a hat, and a shirt from England. He also included the audience in his performance by having them sing along and whistle.
The traditional clothing show was next with clothes from China, Africa, Peru, Japan, Thailand, and Romania being showcased. Each woman showed off a colorful dress from her country. The dresses also included the traditional accessories that one would see in that specific country, which included head pieces, shoes, and jewelry. There were also a few men showcasing traditional African clothing.
James Trazile and Camilo Potillo-Yanez performed the song “Me Gustas Tu”, or “I like you.” Trazile played the piano and Potillo-Yanez played the guitar while performing the song in Spanish.
Next, Behnaz Bolhassani showed off her belly dancing skills. Her costume consisted of a green two-piece that was covered in bling and was paired with black leggings. She danced to music from the Middle East.
South Korea also had a performance in the show. David Cho performed the song “Peppermint” with musical accompaniment.
A school favorite also returned for the third year in a row. Japan showed off the fisherman’s dance after a three-minute video that showcased traditional and modern Japan. They were wearing Japanese outfits and were very in sync with each other.
The African Dancers came back onstage for another performance. This dance was called Lingala and was performed by the men and women who were dressed in the same outfit. The outfits consisted of black pants and white shirts with colorful sashes. The sashes were worn around the men’s waists and were wrapped around the women’s torsos.
China ended the night with two dances. The first was Tai Chi and featured a visiting professor from China. The Tai Chi dance was relaxing and soothing. A demonstration of Kung Fu concluded the night with 14 people performing in it. This was done to upbeat music.
From America to China, International Night was indeed a trip around the world for the students, faculty, staff, and public who watched.