With an AIT auditorium full house and internet audience looking on,
Acting AIT President I. M. Pandey got it right in his opening remarks
when he called the annual celebration emblematic of “AIT’s unique
culture of internationality.”
The Culture Show was graced by honored special guest Mr. Alta ul Munim
Shahid, Deputy Head of Mission, Pakistan Embassy, Thailand. A number of
special guests attended, including AIT School deans, and volunteer
judges Dr. Ake Faldt (Sweden - UG Program), Ms. Myriam Rueda (Spain -
Language Centre), Dr. David Ferguson (UK -- SOM), Mr. Shawn Kelly
(Canada -- MCU), Dr. Roland Amoussou (Nigeria - Senior
Legal Advisor), and Dr. Alex Keen (UK - ASE). Sponsors included
SCG Corporation and Hom Krun Coffee.
Organized by a legion of AIT Student Union volunteers and led by SU
President Ms. Saeng Srisopaporn, the show once again proved a magnet
for talented AIT students to strut their stuff on stage and share their
culture and talents with their peers. Together, they captivated a
standing-room only crowd at the AIT Conference Center auditorium on a
Friday night with a marathon of performances in traditional dance,
classical music, drama, non-traditional dance, talent show, and
non-classical music.
The evening also saw a pair of Sri Lankans crowned “Mr. and Ms. AIT”
from a fashion show catwalk parade of beautiful young people. Two short
films were screened, with a “One AIT For All” produced by the Pakistan
Student Association winning the hearts of the audience along with top
prize. A pair of special performances by AIT faculty members capped off
a night of high-drama and exhilarating performances.
Student emcees Ms. Natasha Hazarika, Mr. Shehan Anaratunga and Mr.
Kasun Karunadhra did a masterful of keeping the audience engaged
throughout the eight-hour long show. And though the performances were
judged, and awards and trophies were handed out, on this night there
were really no losers and only one clear winner – AIT.
HIGHLIGHTS
Traditional Dance
In a category that was not judged, a young lady representing China
opened the show with a thoughtful dance solo. This was followed by a
group from Laos who represented its four regions with a fusion
highlighted by the “Salavan” dance and traditional Khen wooden flute. A
young lady from Nepal then moved to the music of Adele’s “Rolling in
the Deep” and was later followed by an aspiring troupe from Sri
Lanka.
Classical Music
In the first judged category, Thailand’s entry brought a humorous twist
to a well-known ballad with a multi-voiced composition. A lovely
rendition of “Somewhere over the Rainbow” by an Indonesian songstress,
was followed by an act from Myanmar. A nice instrumental and adaptation
of Brian Adams’ “Everything I do (I do it for you)” by Sri Lanka’s
entry completed the set.
Winners:
1) Indonesia
2) Sri Lanka
Drama
In the drama competition, entries had twenty-minutes to tell their
story. Indonesia’s actors set a rich tone with an historical tale full
of princess, princesses and Javanese temples. The intricate plot held a
finely-crafted “moral to the story” message. Rich, refined and ornate,
the show was a crowd-pleaser. India followed with a humorous take on a
pair of odd-couple friends at AIT. A “party animal” and a classic
“geek” are room-mates who spend a spirited four years at AIT with
mixed results. Sri Lanka’s entry threw down the gauntlet for excellence
with a witty and well-crafted satirical poke at classroom life and
video assignments gone awry.
Winners:
1) Sri Lanka
2) Indonesia
Mr. and Ms. AIT
AIT’s most beautiful and handsome brought the house down with sassy and
sultry catwalk struts that amped up the energy in the auditorium.
Shades of Paris and Milan, the darkened hall exploded in a flash of
light bulbs as the models preened for the waiting paparazzi and left
the crowd buzzing.
Winners:
Mr. AIT
1) Sri Lanka
2) India, Thailand
3) Myanmar
Ms. AIT
1) Sri Lanka
2) Nepal
3) Myanmar
Non-traditional Dance
Always an audience favorite, this category brought out some of the best
moves of the night. A male crew from Nepal sporting
Jabbawookeez-inspired white facemasks was all about street vibe and
athletic energy, while their “Glee-like” girl teammates pleased with
wide smiles and upbeat in-sync moves. Indonesia added a dose of
elegance with some soft and soothing choreography that ended with a
Celtic line dance and even “dosey-doe” country dance partner swinging.
Myanmar’s crew followed up with a cheeky set of urban inner-city funk.
Sri Lanka’s large troupe in dapper bow ties and flowing gowns were cool
and refined in comparison, and added a touch of class and a hint of
romance. India had the hall grooving with a fast-paced Bollywood-style
dance number full of dramatic pace changes, pulsating beats, shimmering
rhythms and toe-tapping delights.
Winners:
1) Sri Lanka
2) Indonesia
3) Nepal
Talent Show
In the open talent category, France began with an athletic upbeat,
kick-stepping performance set to a dance club techno-beat. Nepal’s
eloquent representative Ms. Lorina Sthapit left the darkened
auditorium hushed and spell-bound when she delivered an
emotional poem she had written titled “End violence against women and
girls.” The story of a naughty boy who tries to win a pretty girl’s
heart, set to the backdrop of a traditional flute, was presented by the
Chinese entry.
Winners:
1) Nepal
2) Civil and Infrastructure Engineering
3) Sri Lanka
Non-classical Music
In a particularly competitive category, singers and ensembles
representing Thailand, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Philippines,
India, and Nepal had the crowd swaying to the beat. In the end,
an Indonesian vocalist and professional-level guitar player
took top honors.
Winners:
1) Indonesia
2) Myanmar
3) India
Traditional Dance
Two troupes from Indonesia and Myanmar full of beautiful ladies and
handsome costumes put on a memorable pageant!
Special Performance
For the final set of the evening, two AIT faculty member judges
put down their score cards and took to the stage.
England’s Dr. Alex Keen showed himself to be somewhat of
a virtuoso guitarist, impressing with an intricate and melodious
solo rendition of a Michael Chapman classic.
In the evening’s final performance, Nigeria-native Dr. Roland
Amoussou-Guenou used his body to tell the story of “Asia to Africa”,
bringing the hall to a crescendo with a sporty Muay Thai – West African
dance inspired fusion. Sashaying back and forth across the stage, Dr.
Roland was a smiling, sword-swaying, kick-stepping, pirouetting,
hip-shaking, whirling wonder, as he paid homage to two
continents.
Photo Gallery of the event are available at Facebook and Google
+
Facebook Photo Gallery I
Facebook Photo Gallery II
Google+ Photo Gallery I
Google+ Photo Gallery II
