'Melting Wok' focuses on Asian culture

Kathryn Gariano / staff photographer Students perform a Korean fan dance dating to the Choson Dynasty.

The Asian Student Union hosted "Melting Wok," a culture show Friday night in Wilson Hall auditorium with 15 performances ranging from a fan dance to an Asian costume fashion show.

ASU president senior Carol Nguyen said the club focuses on spreading cultural awareness. "We stress multiculturalism," she said.

Nguyen and senior Jose Marti were emcees for the show and introduced each of the acts.

The show opened with Fear Turned Fiction, an indie band from Richmond that focused on breaking Asian stereotypes. This was the band’s first performance.
M.S.G., an Asian rock band from Virginia Tech that tours the state, returned to give a fifth performance at JMU. The band consists of lead singer/guitarist David Thong and guitarist Vietlong Phan.

Freshman Megan Ramsburg performed "Paper Plane," a song she wrote a few years ago. The song "Please Remember" was sung in Korean and the song "We Could Be in Love" was sung as a duet.

Junior Minu Shah performed a Nepalese folk dance that compared the beauty of Nepal’s landscape to the man she loves.

Two fashion shows demonstrated the elaborate costumes of China, India, the Philippines, Korea, Thailand, Laos and Vietnam.

"Tinh Bang Gia" was a medley of different pieces chosen by performers and acted out on stage.

The ASU step team also performed. This was the first time ASU has had a step team, Nguyen said.

Junior Nidhi Berry danced "Bharatnatyam," a traditional South Indian dance. Jose Marti, an emcee, said he felt his was one of the most "beautiful and amazing performances of the night."

Berry and Shah also choreographed "Kotha Palia," which showed a style of dance enjoyed by women informally during marriage and other celebrations.

The show ended with a modern dance incorporating hip-hop, R&B and Spanish music.

Berry has participated in the ASU Culture Show for the past three years. "I love the culture show," Berry said. "The amount of work ASU does for this is phenomenal."

Junior Sharon Tewksbury-Bloom attended the show because several of her friends were in one of the dances. "It’s great to have a showcase for such diverse cultures," she said.