The Asian Cultural Society and the Black Student Union hosted Fusion – Fostering Unity Staged in One Night at Zoellner Arts Center on Dec. 3.
Fusion is an annual event showcasing the various cultural talents members of the Lehigh community have to offer. The event had cultural dance performances from student groups such as Tumbao, African Renaissance, Phi Sigma Chi Multicultural Fraternity Inc. and more. This was Fusion’s first showcase since 2019 due to the pandemic.
Salomon Zapata, ‘22, a member of Tumbao and Phi Sigma Chi Multicultural Fraternity Inc., said this event is a big night for students of color because people are able to showcase their cultures and the different dances that exist around the world.
“It makes it clear that Lehigh is heading towards the right direction of diversity and more of these events will keep backing that up,” Zapata said.
Amaya Foy, ‘22, an audience member, had the same sentiment. She said she does not typically see this type of representation on campus but was glad Fusion provided a chance to express it.
“As a student of color, watching all of these cultural groups perform was really refreshing,” Foy said.
Christina Enodien, ‘24, a member of African Renaissance said she was nervous before the performance. Her performance displayed the different cultural dances within Africa.
She said, however, that the energy of the crowd boosted her confidence.
“It brought me so much joy how supportive and hype the crowd was,” Enodien said.
Enodien and Zapata said hours of hard work were put into making sure the performances were ready for the stage. Enodien said a lot of preparation went into costumes, music choice and dance formations.
Zapata being on stage with others ultimately made him feel at ease.
“I loved being on stage with my brothers of Phi Sigma Chi, and my team (Tumbao) and just having fun out there,” Zapata said. “ There were nerves but as long as we were on stage together having fun that is all that mattered.”
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- Leela performed dances that incorporated choreography and music from both Eastern and Western culture. Leela is Lehigh’s only Indian fusion dance team. (Sharon Jo/B&W Staff)
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- Lehigh’s Belly Dance team celebrated their ancient historical styles at Fusion. The team aims to educate through instruction of dancing. (Sharon Jo/B&W Staff)
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- Lambda Theta Alpha performed at Fusion with dances inspired by their Latin roots. The Latin sorority prides themselves on being Latin by roots and tradition, but not by definition. (Sharon Jo/B&W Staff)
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- Helius performed a mashup of various styles within their spooky theme. The group is a multicultural dance team that incorporates many styles including hip-hop, breaking, jazz, urban and k-pop. (Sharon Jo/B&W Staff)
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- Phi Sigma Chi is a multicultural fraternity. The team performed a dance of various styles and music to celebrate diversity. (Sharon Jo/B&W Staff)
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- Dancin’ performed lyrical and jazz dances at Fusion. It is Lehigh’s dance group that holds weekly classes. (Sharon Jo/B&W Staff)
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- J.M. Entertainment performed a number of songs and group numbers with their theme of seasons. The team does dances inspired by k-pop and Korean culture. (Sharon Jo/B&W Staff)
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- Bad Company performed a variety of songs and group dynamics at Fusion. The team focuses on mainly premier hip-hop and urban dance. (Sharon Jo/B&W Staff)
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- Mu Sigma Upsilon performed at Fusion at Zoellner Arts Center. The group is the Yemaya chapter of the first multicultural sorority. (Sharon Jo/B&W Staff)
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- The African Renaissance team performed three songs at Fusion. They describe their group as a worldwide movement. (Sharon Jo/B&W Staff)
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- LU Bhangra performed their version of folk dances. The choreography and music originates from Punjab, a state in northern India. (Sharon Jo/B&W Staff)
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- The members of Tumbao performed a mix of group and duet dances at Fusion. Tumbao is a Latinx and Caribbean dance team. (Sharon Jo/B&W Staff)
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