The International Fusion Showcase gives students the opportunity to share their native cultures with others while providing a home away from home for international students.
The International Student Association held its annual International Fusion Showcase April 7 at 5 p.m. in the Student Union Royal Cotillion Ballroom. This showcase features a variety of acts that are representative of cultures from around the world like singing, dancing, poetry and even a fashion walk.
“It’s sort of the conclusion of all the work that we’ve done throughout two semesters,” Lucrezia Tomassetti, Vice President of ISA and a junior double majoring in political science and international studies said. “We have performers, whether they’re students or part of the larger Baton Rouge community, that come together and put on performances to showcase their native culture. And, to me, it’s just a big celebration of the richness that LSU has to offer.”
The celebration opened with a welcome speech by Dr. Chu-Rodriguez, the director of international student engagement and ISA advisor. Her speech highlighted the people at LSU as part of what makes Louisiana such a magical place. These opening words set a hopeful and positive tone for the rest of the night’s entertainment.
There were 17 acts in total, with performances from outside organizations, school clubs and individual students. One such group was Aaja Nachle, a dance team based in Baton Rouge that showcases Indian culture through dance.
“I love that we’re able to showcase our Indian culture through the art form of dance,” Asha Nair, member of Aaja Nachle, said. “And the type of dance we do is a mix of all kinds of dance. It’s not just one kind of dance. So we as a group, collectively, appreciate that opportunity to share it with LSU and the whole community of Baton Rouge.”
The dance team has even been asked to perform for a refugee group, an opportunity it would not have been presented had it not performed at the International Fusion Showcase.
Another group that performed was Tiger Love, the official dance team of the K-Pop Club at LSU. Tiger Love performs cover dances of K-Pop songs and has performed at many school and community events, including Homecoming, Lunar New Year Night Market and Fall Fest.
The dance team ran into some trouble while preparing for the showcase, as it was impossible to get the whole team together over spring break. This meant the team only had one full day of rehearsal with everyone present. Still, Tiger Love managed to put on a spectacular performance, and the members got to share their love of Korean music and culture in a fun, upbeat way.
“All the dances are really fun, and just getting hyped as a crowd is really fun to watch,” Keianu Porter, a sophomore theatre performance major, said. “And just to see how everybody dances and how they differ.”
International Fusion is a huge undertaking, which requires a lot of hardwork and dedication from both the performers and the ISA officers. ISA also struggles to gather enough funding to support such a huge event. Still, Tomassetti feels all of the hard work is worth it when she sees how the showcase helps international students feel seen and appreciated.
“The best part is when someone comes up to me and they’re like, ‘oh my goodness, I was so touched by this performance,’ or, ‘they played this song that I grew up listening to, and it just made me feel at home,’” Tomassetti said. “I think that’s the goal. This school is such a large campus, we’re all trying to find our corner, find our people.”
Tomassetti feels that the showcase is especially important to have now in the midst of so much division.
“I think that we live in a time and place where it’s really important for all of us to come together and be a community,” Tomassetti said. “And I think events like this really help international students who are so far away from home, experiencing a different culture, a different school system. It helps them do that. It helps them find a place on this campus.”
