European Culture Night brought folk music and diverse food to a lively crowd at Collis Commonground last Friday.
The two-hour-long show included Eastern European folklore rhythms, Turkish belly-dancing and a Spanish Sevillana dance.
Although the program focused mainly on traditional dances and songs, modern European culture was also represented. Todor Kalaydjiev '05 brought the beats of Bulgarian rap to an audience of around 150.
Spectators also tasted a variety of dishes from European cuisine.
The event is the first in a series of cultural shows organized by the International Students' Association and intended to amuse and enlighten the Dartmouth community.
"We hope the event will not only entertain but also help break stereotypes about other cultures and make ISA more visible on campus," ISA president Min Zhang '05 said.
The main challenge the ISA board faced in organizing the event, according to Zhang, was finding people who were willing to perform.
The eventual stars of the show hailed from many different cultural backgrounds. However, participation was not limited to international students. American-born senior Stratos Pahis, for example, played a traditional Spanish song. "I just love performing, and this seemed like a good opportunity," Pahis said.
The often well-attended world culture events at Dartmouth are usually associated with specific cultural organizations such as the Dartmouth Asian Organization or the South Asian MILAN. For ISA, putting together a European Culture Night was thus new experience.
ISA members said they deemed the event a success and expressed hope that European Culture Night will leave a legacy for future events.
