The Monterey Peninsula College Asian Student Association celebrated their 12th Annual Culture Show on April 20th, 2013. The show featured performing arts from all over the world. The list of dances, plays, and songs are listed below.

  • Korean Fan Dance
  • Indian Bollywood Dances
  • Filipino Traditional Dances
  • Ke Aloha Hula Halau Ohana Dances
  • Samulnori (Korean Percussion)
  • Caribbean & Argentine Dances
  • Vietnamese songs and violin
  • H & J Taekwondo Martial Arts Demonstrations
  • Veracruz Flolklorico Estampa De La Americas Dance
  • Vietnamese Traditional Ao-Dai Dances

Admission: FREE
Time: 7:30pm- 9:30pm
Date: Saturday, April 20, 2013
Location: Monterey Peninsula College – Music Hall
Address: 980 Fremont St, Monterey, CA 93940

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Monterey Peninsula ASA 12th Annual Culture Show - Image 039I am Julia Thao Vuong Le and I am Richard Nistche. On behalf of the Monterey Peninsula College Asian Student Association we would like to welcome you all to our 12th Annual Culture Show.

We would also like to introduce you the members of Miss Vietnam 2013 Ao Dai in Northern CA Court. (Each Miss will be escorted by the ASA member when walking from the door to the stage.)

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Monterey Peninsula ASA 12th Annual Culture Show - Image 037From left to right:

  • Miss Congeniality (Á Hậu Thân Thiện): Ly Hong Yen Yvonne
  • Fourth Princess: Miss Tran Vu Phuong Hoang
  • Miss Vietnam of Northern California 2013: Miss Tran Le Nguyen Minh
  • Third Princess: Miss Nguyen Pauline
  • First Princess: Miss Truong Hoang Phung

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Monterey Peninsula ASA 12th Annual Culture Show - Image 038Please give a warm welcome to the Miss Vietnam of Northern California 2013 court, who will be the Masters of Ceremony tonight.

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Monterey Peninsula ASA 12th Annual Culture Show - Image 042Before seeing all performances, I would like to share with you a little bit of the Vietnamese Miss Ao Dai Northern California Organization…(shared story). To continue the program, I would like to introduce the ASA Culture Show distinguished guests (separate list of names).

Next, I would like to introduce the ASA 2013 recipients who receive the Certificate of Recognitions from local politicians’ offices.

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Monterey Peninsula ASA 12th Annual Culture Show - Image 045I would first like to invite the 29th District State Assembly member Mark Stone to come up the stage to have a few words to the audiences before giving your certificates of recognition to the ASA recipients (separate list of names).

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Monterey Peninsula ASA 12th Annual Culture Show - Image 04129th District State Assembly member Mark Stone

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Monterey Peninsula ASA 12th Annual Culture Show - Image 043I would like to invite Dr. Walter Tribley, the MPC Superintendent to give the 20th District U.S. Congressman Sam Farr’s Certificates of recognition to the recipients (separate list of names).

I would like to invite Mr. Carsbia Anderson, the MPC Vice-President of Student Services to present the 17th District State Senator Bill Monning’s Certificates of recognition to the recipients (separate list of names).

I would like to invite Mr. Steve Ma, the MPC Vice-President of Administrative Services to present the certifications of recognition from the Fourth District Monterey County Supervisor Jane Parker to the recipients (separate list of names).

I would like to invite Dr. Jeansook Ryu, Defense Language Institute Assistance Dean, to present the fifth District Monterey County Supervisor Dave Potter to the recipients (separate list of names).

Finally, we would like to invite Dr. Celine Pinet, Vice-President of Academic Affairs, to present the special recognition from the 17th District State Senator Bill Monning to Mr. An Vu, the CEO of Miss Ao Northern California.

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Monterey Peninsula ASA 12th Annual Culture Show - Image 044On behalf of Mr. Vu, I would like to ask Miss Yvonne to accept the certification.

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Monterey Peninsula ASA 12th Annual Culture Show - Image 046I would like to invite all ASA distinguished guests to come to the stage in order to have pictures with the ASA 2013 Recognition recipients. Please join me to give a big hand to all ASA recipients and distinguished guests and let the culture show begin with the first performance.

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Monterey Peninsula ASA 12th Annual Culture Show - Image 047Samulnori (Korean Percussion): The Monterey Korean Cultural Center will perform the Korean traditional musical instruments through the song which is called “Samul Nori.” The “Samul Nori” is a genre of Korean traditional percussion music originally. The word “Samul” prefers four different objects, and “Nori” means for the play. The Korean traditional instruments are called “Pungmul” which combines four different instruments:

  • Kwaenggwari (a small gong)
  • Jing (a larger gong)
  • Janggu (an hourglass-shape drum)
  • Buk (a barrel drum similar to the bass drum)

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Monterey Peninsula ASA 12th Annual Culture Show - Image 048Please have a big hand to welcome Mr. Dukhyun Cho and his Monterey Korean School Samulnori Team.

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Monterey Peninsula ASA 12th Annual Culture Show - Image 050Argentine Tango Dance: Argentina tango dance is the unique national folk dance with the close embrace of the partners and with the leads of the dance coming from the touching of the man’s legs to the woman’s legs. It is a very intimate dance and experts agree it is the most difficult of all ballroom dance. Aletia Egipciaco, MPC Library staff, has her own dance studio in Salinas, and she is a competition ballroom dancer. She also won the 1st places in Latin dance in National Competitions.  Richard McNelly is also a MPC library staff and a dance instructor specializing in The Argentine Tango.

Please give a big applause to welcome two lovely MPC Librarians: Ms. Aletia Egipciaco and Mr. Richard McNelly.

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Monterey Peninsula ASA 12th Annual Culture Show - Image 051Polynesian Kamali’i & Ke Aloha Hula Halau Ohana Dances: The next dances are called “Tahitian Dance” which is often confused with the Hawaiian Hula. Both of the Polynesian Kamali’i & Ke Aloha Hula Halau Ohana School students will do the multiple dance styles of Tahitian dance that are associated with certain events and occasions with performances being symbolic and significant, not just an art form.

The first dance is called the “Ote’a ‘amui” and will be performed by all vahine (women) and by keiki (children) with percussion instruments for greeting guests.

The Second dance is called an “Aparima” with the “Fakateretere” song. This dance is stylistically complex, using intricate hand movements and gestures. The dance describes a man who is dreaming of a beautiful woman and flying over the land. Taking the dancers in a somewhat map of Tahiti, highlighting important places & mimic scenes from everyday life.

The last dance will be performed by the youngest Keiki and is called the “Hivinau,” danced again to only percussion instruments.
 
Please give a big hand to welcome the Polynesian Kamali’i & Ke Aloha Hula Halau Ohana School students.

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Monterey Peninsula ASA 12th Annual Culture Show - Image 052India Bollywood Dances: Bollywood Dance style (Bollywood was created by combining two names, Bombay (the city now called Mumbai) and Hollywood. Bollywood based in Mumbai (Bombay), is India’s – and the world’s largest film industry in terms of the number of films produced and also the number of tickets sold each year.) Bollywood movies have developed their own signature style of song and dance, which combines the rich texture of India’s many classical and folk dances, fused with elements of other dance forms. This colorful performance is a celebration of Indian weddings and festivals.

Please have a big hand to welcome the Om Shanti Om members. 

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Monterey Peninsula ASA 12th Annual Culture Show - Image 053Filipino Cariñosa & Kuratsa Dances (back-to-back)

Let’s give big hands to welcome Mr. Segundo Zora who will tell with us about Bulaklakan (Boo-lak-la-kan) and Kuratsa Dances along with introducing the members of Bulaklakan and Kuratsa dancers.

Bulaklakan (Boo-lak-la-kan) means garland of flowers. This dance is a dance of floral garlands, dedicated to the Virgin Mary during the Roman Catholic celebration of their holy week. Bulaklakan is performed widely during the month of May, and it is custom in many parts of the Philippines to celebrate the “Santa Cruz de Mayo,” a procession usually followed by a social gathering in the house of the “Hermana Mayor.” In some places, the celebration takes the form of folk dances held in front of a provisional alter built by the leader of the celebration called, “Hermana Mayor.” Bulaklakan, a lovely, colorful, lively, and attractive dance, is performed for this occasion. The women in this dance each hold a garland of flowers and leaves attached to a bamboo or rattan so that the garland will arch when held overhead.

Ladies and Gentlemen, please give a big applause to welcome the Bulaklakan dancers.

Kuratsa is a Filipino traditional Dance of Courtship where the male approaches and courts a lady in a form of a dance. It depicts the courtship between the rooster and the hen. The dance usually performs at weddings and fiestas. The Kuratsa serves as the traditional money dance where guests take turns throwing money on a special container or large square cloth in the middle of the dance floor. The gesture symbolizes friends’ and families’ wishes for good luck and prosperity in the couple’s future.

The dance is performed in three parts, with three different rhythms. The dancing couple starts the performance with a ballroom waltz. Then the music shifts to a faster beat for the “chasing” scene, in which the woman dancer flees and the male pursues her all across the dance floor. The tempo picks up even more for the final part, in which the chase ends with a furiously flirtatious scene where the female is won over, and the male imitates a flamboyant happy bird in celebration.

Please give a big applause to welcome the Kuratsa dancers.(Picture not shown)

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Monterey Peninsula ASA 12th Annual Culture Show - Image 054Taekwondo Martial Arts Demonstration: H & J Taekwondo students would like to thank the MPC ASA for inviting us to participate in this wonderful culture show event. It is our second year to participate in this event. Tonight, our students will demonstrate a little bit of Taekwondo Martial Arts which can be used for a self-defense, self-control, self-confidence, and other disciplines. If you are interested in learning Taekwondo, you can stop by H & J Taekwondo classes, Monday through Saturday, at 755 Broadway Avenue in Seaside. You can contact Master Humberto Valenzuela at (831) 241–1419 or Master Jesus Gomez at (831) 402–9439. Hope you enjoy our demonstration.

Please give a big applause to welcome Master Humberto Valenzuela and Master Jesus Gomez along with H & J Taekwondo students.

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Monterey Peninsula ASA 12th Annual Culture Show - Image 055Veracruz Dance: Veracruz is one of Mexican traditional dances. Mexican calls it as the gate of the world. Veracruz is the most representative of the multicultural heritage and the cultural expression to show different parts of the world. Veracruz has been influenced by the Olmec, Spaniel, African-Caribbean and French those have made of the Son Xarocho (Traditional music style from the region). It’s very own signature with colorful rhythm and unique dance style. Estampa De Las Americas is honored to represent a little assemble one of the most recognized community around the world. 

Ladies and gentlemen please give a big applause to welcome the Veracruz Folklorico Estampa De Las Americas Dancers: Yafra Gonzalez, Elena Espinoza, and the Singer: Elizabeth Romero Miller accompanied by William Faulkner Harp.

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Monterey Peninsula ASA 12th Annual Culture Show - Image 057Non-Filipino Traditional Dance: It is a very special surprised to all of us that it is the first time for Filipino American Community Club Cultural Dancers to perform the non-Filipino traditional dance. The dance can be interpreted as the dance with the music of Quizas, Quizas, and Quizas.

Ladies and gentlemen, please give a big applause to welcome the members of non-Filipino traditional Dancers. 

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Monterey Peninsula ASA 12th Annual Culture Show - Image 058Korean Fan Buche Chum Dance: Korean Dance usually displays the art of fan dance through Korean traditional music. Tonight, it is the first time for the Defense Language Institute students in Monterey to combine the fusion music in their fan dance that is a blend of western influenced tunes, like hip-hop with traditional Korean melodies. This performance will show a unique dance which both music and dancers are able to display the art of Korean fan dance and connect to the audiences during the dance. To make the dance be more excited, we would like to invite you to dance with the fan dance members while sitting on the chair and nodding your head until the end of the dance.

Please give a big applause to welcome the Defense Language Institution dancers: Gigi Cardin, Dannica Brown, Alice Hatcher, Sarah Kim, Kirsten Osbome, Maria Ponzio, Shaina Punzone, Violette Sivils, Heather Vincent, Melanie Payne, and Choreographer and Director Professor Kate Hwang.

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Monterey Peninsula ASA 12th Annual Culture Show - Image 059Singing “Saigon-Saigon” song with Violin: The Marina Vietnamese Language School has established since 1998 and meets every Saturday in Marina Library from 10am to 1pm. Goals of Marina Vietnamese Language School are to provide the Vietnamese-American children in Marina, Seaside, and Salinas an opportunity to learn the Vietnamese language and to maintain the Vietnamese culture, tradition, and costumes in the United States. Tonight the students will sing a “Saigon-Saigon” song to remind us the beauty old capitol of the Southern Vietnam government before the communists took over on April 30, 1975 along with playing violin instrument.

Please give a big applause to welcome Ms. Margarita Nguyen and her Marina Vietnamese Language School students.

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Monterey Peninsula ASA 12th Annual Culture Show - Image 060The Miss Vietnam 2013 Ao Dai Northern CA Court will perform a traditional fan dance that embraces the elegant, graceful beauty of young Vietnamese women and show a beauty of various Vietnamese Ao Dai through the dance.

Ao Dai have been a traditional dress of Vietnam for many decades. It symbolizes as well as embodies all of the Vietnamese culture, and tastefully portrays the Vietnamese women’s beauty, personality and characteristics.

Ladies and Gentlemen, please give a big applause to welcome the members of Miss Vietnam 2013 Ao Dai in Northern CA.

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