First Look

Flash Dance!

In eight minutes or less, international students tell stories of adversity and joy

By Lauren Newkirk Maynard

Students hailing from around the world leapt and laughed their way onto the Center for the Arts Mainstage Theatre on March 7 at the International Fiesta, the annual talent showcase for UB’s international student clubs. The university’s most diverse student event drew hundreds of friends and family to the North Campus to cheer on 15 club teams—five of which competed for an enormous trophy and the year’s bragging rights.

Performances ranged from hypnotic Korean folk drumming to the Indian Student Association’s epic number, which combined traditional Bhangra dance and Bollywood-style camp to bring the story of two star-crossed lovers to life. The winner, the Latin American Student Association, brought down the sold-out house with a “West Side Story”- like retelling of the Latin-American diaspora, using a mix of dance styles from the South American and Caribbean coasts, as well as the urban jungles of Miami and New York City.

Watch LASA steal hearts at UB's International Fiesta