Sayaw sa Bangko | Vanderbilt LNYF 2020

This traditional Filipino dance, literally "Dance on a Bench," originates from the Pangasinan province in the Philippines. It features couples dancing upon narrow wooden benches which are gradually stacked higher and higher. Supposedly beginning as a children's game, today Sayaw sa Bangko is a popular dance for weddings & town fiestas to emphasize trust between partners and among the community. In this dance, everyone must rely on and completely trust their teammates, symbolizing the strong community values of Filipino culture. By working together, we can all reach new heights! How much can you bench?
Choreographed by: Minguk Seo
Partner Organizations: Vanderbilt Philippine Dance Theatre (VPDT) and Philippine Intercultural Student Organization (PISO)
Performers: Angela Ye, Deborah Park, Hannah Chen, Hunter Spivey, John Ang, Joshua Seabaugh, Kiana Guerrazzi, Mara Yella, Matthew Blaize, Reena Zhang, Richard Fu, Teppei Kotake, Yuqi Bian
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Co-Chairs: John Lee and Skylar Long
Coordinator: Michelle Liu
Welcome to LNYF 2020: A Recipe for Success. The Lunar New Year Festival (LNYF) commemorates the eponymous holiday traditionally celebrated in many Asian cultures to bring good fortune, happiness, and health for the new year. We are immensely excited to have you join us in our celebration of the Lunar holiday with these captivating performances, impactful stories, and indispensable forms of creative expression within the Asian, Asian-American, and Pacific Islander (AAPI) tradition.
Over 350 student performers, choreographers, committee members, and volunteers have dedicated their diverse talents in the last several months to produce this show. The final twenty-one acts featured tonight reflect the variety and richness of the cultures within the AAPI identity, as well as within the Vanderbilt community here on campus.
This year, the theme revolves around a central discussion on success. With its various possible interpretations and definitions, how is one’s success molded, constricted, or expanded by their surrounding cultural context? We focus on a particular aspect of immigrant milieu: transplanted culinary traditions and the small family-owned restaurants that keep them alive. Ideological differences arise when individuals consider different approaches to achieving success as they navigate an unfamiliar professional space.
We hope to engage you in a culturally immersive experience that opens up a gateway into further discussion and education on these issues pertinent to our communities.