UHS IDEAL hosted its annual Cultural Performances event on April 18, capping off Cultural Awareness Week from April 14 to April 18. Cultural Awareness Week aims to promote unity and appreciation while spreading awareness of different cultures across campus.
Unique activities were featured during lunch each day, including cultural poster making on Monday, live cultural music performances on Tuesday and club booths on Wednesday and Thursday. Cultural Performances in front of the Big Theatre concluded the week, featuring a variety of student-led showcases celebrating different traditions.
Persian Culture Club opened the show with four dance performances, consisting of traditional and more modern elements. The performance began with a traditional dance performed by the entire group, followed by separate dances for each grade level. In preparation for their performance, Persian Culture Club members, including sophomore Shaya Khalili, met regularly to choreograph, learn the dances and rehearse.
“We went to constant office hours sessions and practiced our dances in the dance room to make sure we prepared the choreography well,” Khalili said.
The performance left a strong impression, with dancers expressing pride in being able to share a piece of their heritage with the wider UHS community. For many, the best part was meeting people and having experiences together.
“It was so much fun to hang out and dance with Persian friends and community at UHS,” Khalili said. “My favorite part was just getting closer to people in the Persian Culture Club.”
Following Persian Culture Club, a group of students performed with the diabolo. The diabolo is an ancient Chinese performance element consisting of a two-headed top manipulated by strings attached to two sticks.
Next was K4U, UHS’s K-pop dance group, who delivered a performance to a popular K-pop hit. The dancers showcased sharp synchronization and high energy, creating an energetic atmosphere that impressed the crowd.
The finale of the show was a cultural fashion show featuring attire from around the world. Students modeled traditional clothing representing different regions, and the fashion show also included a special lion dance performance, adding an exciting and symbolic touch to the event. Senior Juliet Kozlov performed in the fashion show for her third year, representing Russian culture.
“I was dressed in a blue dress with traditional headwear showcasing the different cultural aspects in traditional garments of Russian culture,” Kozlov said. “After wearing a different dress for the past two years, it was really fun trying out something new.”
To prepare, the models had to choose their clothing, get fittings and rehearse as a group beforehand.
“While some people had fittings for their clothes, I already had my own at home that I chose and tried out,” junior Lucy Zhao said. “We had several rehearsals beforehand where the director helped us learn how to walk and coordinate the performance.”
The fashion show and other performances highlighted a diverse and authentic representation of world cultures, creating an excellent experience for the audience and performers. In its third year, this event’s progression has been exciting, with different activities and increasing student support.
“I’ve been doing this for three years now, and each year, I feel like there are more and more people involved and excited about it,” Kozlov said. “It has been really cool to see how we’ve progressed in such a short amount of time.”
The cultural performances once again highlighted the diversity and creativity of the UHS community. They marked a memorable finale to a week dedicated to celebrating and appreciating cultures from around the world.
