ISA brings cultures together for International Dance Extravaganza

Rhythms of the globe filled the Russell House ballroom Sunday evening at the International Dance Extravaganza. Sponsored by the International Students Association (ISA), this event showcased USC’s international students and their cultures through the art of dance.

Second-year pharmacy student Nnemka Nwajiaku, who serves as treasurer of ISA, highlighted the amount of work put into such a large event.

“We put a lot of work into it and some planning ... It’s my first time doing this, but this isn’t the first time this has been a thing,” Nwajiaku said.

The evening’s organizers and performers were members of international groups comprised of students from Europe, Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Middle East. To kick off the evening, the Korean International Students Association (KISA) performed a non-traditional Korean pop (K-Pop) dance.

The extravaganza pressed on with a performance from Aditi Rakshit, a biomedical engineering masters student, to an Indian song from a Bollywood film. Rakshit’s  performance was followed up by a Brazilian partner dance from chemical engineering exchange student Luiza Provasi and civil engineering exchange student Lucas Eduardo.

Before the event and between performances, students in attendance enjoyed free refreshments and socialized with their peers from all over the world. Third-year English student Laffon Brelland was among those in attendance.

“It’s a chance to see the international students on campus, to kind of perform and do something for their culture, so I’m expecting it to be interesting like it’s been every year,” Brelland said. “It’s basically kind of a party.”

The president of ISA, fourth-year public health student Ahad Zwooqar, organized and oversaw the event.

“This event happens every fall ... It’s really casual; it’s not like a formal event … [students] just go and dance,” Zwooqar said.

Other student dance groups that performed were USC’s breakdancing group SWYPE and the Pan-African Student Association (PANASA).

Meg Southern, assistant principal of the International House at Maxcy College, chimed in about her favorites at the extravaganza. 

“It’s enthralling. I like the broad spectrum of dance represented. I like the diversity of countries represented. I like the myriad of music styles, and I love the spirit of congeniality everyone has. It’s an atmosphere of hospitality and inclusion,” Southern said.