By Sneha Gayatri and Mark Jackson
Last Saturday, countries of the Asian continent came together to create a night of pure entertainment. Powered by emcees who stepped out of the box and created their own entertainment section, the night consisted of a special presentation by the Filipinos & Friends clubs and multiple performances by the Greater China, Korea, Taiwan, Indian Subcontinent, Thai Smile, Japan and ThunderDance clubs, followed by an incredible Global Sounds show.
The Asian Regional Night was a fun time for all, but like with any mass event, there are issues that can be improved upon for the next time. For one, the main event, a display of some incredible dancing talent, could have been more precise and clean. Sometimes the stage appeared to be overcrowded – there’s a lot more that we can do to better orchestrate performances. The skits in between dances put a damper on the energy and did not elicit the response that they were expected to generate. Maybe we should leave such performances for a Mr. and Ms. Thunderbird-like event?
However, the dances themselves were incredible. The popular favorite by far was the Gangnam Style dance from the Korean Culture Club. While Psy’s Gangnam Style and Gentleman have been used too many times, this particular dance was crisp right from the part with the Korean Pop. It absolutely brought the house down and was so much fun to watch. There have been very few who actually could impersonate Psy himself, and the pseudo-Psys on stage simply fit the bill!
The food was great as well – such a variety of authentic Asian dishes can rarely be experienced in one room. Furthermore, the decision maker who decided to order up some of Panda Express’ Orange Chicken deserves a medal. In terms of execution, there is so much more that can be improved. Thank you to the TSG, the ThunderPlanners and the few club members and volunteers that lingered around to clear up after every regional night. It is the responsibility of the clubs to ensure that the job is completed – from setting up to clearing out the TEC, and to be honest, more proactive support is expected. Let us all be responsible T-birds and not just silent spectators – a lot goes into planning and executing a regional night, and every bit of manpower is valuable.
All in all, it was another successful regional night, if a bit slow to start off. We look forward to the next regional night in November, and can’t wait to see all the talent onstage!
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