BY SAVANNAH HARRIMAN-POTE ’20
Photos by Gabby Raymond ’20
Raunak Bhangra strikes a final pose after their energetic performance.
Juhi Shah ’20 is captain of Mount Holyoke’s Raunak Bhangra Dance Team, the only Bhangra team in the Five Colleges. Their performance was a staple of the VariAsians show, and certainly one of the livelier routines of the night. In one of their numbers, the dancers used sapps, an instrument made with several collapsible wooden X’s that creates a loud clapping noise.
According to Shah, sapps are traditional folk instruments of the Punjab region of India and are used to establish rhythm and inspire energy in the dancers. “The dance is supposed to invoke happiness,” said Shah. “We’re always upbeat. It’s six minutes straight of us just moving and jumping, so it’s definitely intense.”
Photos by Gabby Raymond ’20
Emma Lynch ’18 models the VariAsians shirt she designed for volunteers.
Emma Lynch ’18, in collaboration with Sally Ma ’18, designed the T-shirts for this year’s VariAsians. “I came up with the design last year when we had the theme of rain and water,” said Lynch. Lynch first experimented with graphic design in high school, and honed her skills at an Massachusetts Institute of Technology design program. In addition to her role as the event’s graphic designer, Lynch is also a senior co-chair of the Asian Student Association (ASA), the organization responsible for hosting VariAsians. “We’re trying to make a very diverse show and celebrate pan-Asian identity and culture,” said Lynch. “So I love to see people from all around the community, not just Mount Holyoke but also the Five Colleges and the South Hadley area, attend VariAsians.”
Photos by Irisa Lee ’18
Lynn Shen ’19 performs acoustic guitar and sings an original song.
Between the high-powered dance crew performances, Lynn Shen ’19 quietly took the stage with her acoustic guitar. Shen, who has been writing music since she was 16 years old, performed an original song entitled “Whether the Tree Has Flowered (Kai Hua Mei You).” The song, inspired by her sister, “meant multiple things all at once…a complex set of feelings when I think about home and family,” she said.
Shen also dedicated her performance to her grandmother, who is recovering from surgery. “I wanted to direct good energy to her through the performance,” said Shen. “She has always held me up.”
Photo by Gabby Raymond ’20
Weiyue Chen ’21 performs cover of Chinese rap hit “Made in China.”
In one of the few solo acts of the night, Weiyue Chen ’21 performed a cover of “Made in China” by Chinese rap group Higher Brothers x Famous Dex. Chen started rapping after she attended a rap concert in China. “A lot of people don’t know about Chinese rap music, and I want to show everyone that Chinese rap is lit,” said Chen. She also recreated the song’s original music video, which played behind her as she performed. Chen has performed with Mount Holyoke’s J-Pop Dance Team, ODM, but said having the whole stage to herself was more nerve-wracking: “Every other act has a lot of people, but I’m up there by myself. What if I forget my lyrics? So I thought, I just got to be cool. I just want to perform my art.”
Photo by Gabby Raymond ’20
Raqs show off body isolations and hip drops in the Captain Dance.
Isabelle Tomlow ’21 performed with Raqs, Mount Holyoke’s belly dancing club. Raqs, which means “dance” in Arabic, incorporates different cultural techniques into its style and performance. “[Belly dancing] is a very multicultural practice, because it happens all over the Middle East,” said Tomlow. “Every place has its own style, but our group does a lot of fusion.” The three captains, and Tomlow, performed their signature captain’s dance for the crowd at VariAsians.
Raqs also emphasizes body positivity through dance. “You get a very different feel for your body when you belly dance,” Tomlow said. “It brought me in touch with my personal sensuality, which helped me grow, both as a person and a woman in this society.”
Photo by Irisa Lee ’18
Kalea Martín ’19 and Annie Huynh ’20 model fashion on the catwalk.
The last event of the evening was the annual fashion show. For Annie Huynh ’20 and Kalea Martín ’19, it was their first time performing in VariAsians. Martín is originally from the Philippines and was excited about the opportunity to represent Pacific Islanders.
“I’m wearing a Filipino sarong and lei around my head and my neck,” said Martín. “Leis represents connection to the islands and is usually made from plumeria flowers.” Martín’s blue sarong and yellow lei also invoked the blue and yellow of the Filipino flag. Meanwhile, Huynh wore a long black dress and a red robe in recognition of Chinese culture. “I chose this robe because of the design,” said Huynh, gesturing to the hand embroidered crane on her sleeve.
