Last Thursday, April 11, more than 70 people gathered in the Gallery to try out some dance steps from around the world. JSRCC Chemistry professor Sevag Sinanian started the program by introducing dances that are common to his country of heritage, Armenia. Born in the U.S., Sev was raised in a traditional Armenian household so his ethnic roots run deep. The folk dances he invited attendees to try out included popular traditional Kef-time dances. Typical musical instruments include the “oud” (Middle Eastern lute), “kanun” (zither), “dumbeg” (goblet drum) and clarinet.
Spanish professor Maria Espiritu followed Sev. Dressed in colorful Peruvian dress, she led eager attendees in the Wayno. This Peruvian dance from the Andes is performed during festivals, holidays and special occasions. It is usually danced in groups in the country or in open spaces, but we had plenty of room in the Gallery to try it out!
The program concluded with a group of Filipino dancers – staff members Jinky Davis and Maria Clarke, along with students Nino Ballesteros, Shiela Kenney and Myrisa Nadal. The dance they performed is associated with the Sinulog Festival, which is held every second week of January. This dance was derived from imitating the current of the river.
