After three years, the Boston College Vietnamese Students Association (VSA) returned to live performance with its culture show entitled Revival of the Phoenix. The name was an ode to VSA “rising from the ashes,” as the event’s program said, in the revival of the group’s annual event.
VSA members greeted attendees at the door with a complimentary glow stick that added flair in the low lighting of the venue. Twinkle lights hung along the walls of Fulton 511 and added to the warm lighting design.
Emcees Khoa Vu and Julie Vu, both MCAS ’23, took the stage, and after some humorous banter, they introduced and thanked all of the choreographers for their hard work in putting together all of the show’s dance numbers.
Before each dance, the emcees performed short, comedic sketches that gave background information for the upcoming dance. Each sketch was a spoof on Keeping Up with the Kardashians. The first sketch, which involved Kourtney Kardashian getting ready for her wedding day, introduced the Lotus Dance, a traditional Vietnamese dance symbolic of the birth of Buddha.
With the stage bathed in an orange glow, the dancers stepped onstage, dressed in traditional Vietnamese clothing. Holding lotus-shaped fans, the dancers moved in complete synchronization, creating an enthralling and peaceful visual style.
Another traditional dance, the umbrella dance, was up next. Performing to a medley of modern songs, each dancer had a colorful umbrella incorporated into the dance. The performers’ stunning coordination was on display when rotating dancers opened their umbrellas on the beat, creating mesmerizing visuals.
The last performance before intermission was the co-ed dance. A traditional dance performed by the freshmen in VSA, the piece featured fan work and traditional sword dance. The performers showed total confidence in their movement onstage with every precise movement, creating a powerful ending to the first act.
To start out the second act, VSA president Vivienne Le and vice president Gina Yoo, both MCAS ’22, introduced the current and upcoming executive board members of VSA. The two emcees then continued their Kardashian-centered sketches to introduce the next group of dances.
Pieces titled “Modern Guys” and “Modern Girls” were up next. As the names suggest, these performances featured contemporary hip-hop dance. The enthusiastic cheers from the audience during each dance showed they enjoyed these types of performances just as much as the traditional dances from earlier in the evening.
For the last four pieces, the dancers performed with members of their own class year. The freshmen performed first, then the sophomores, juniors, and seniors. The freshmen, showcasing their skills for their first VSA performance, lit up the stage with their energetic routine. The seniors closed out the night’s performances with their last culture show performance. VSA chairs Sabrina Ng and Vivian Nguyen, both CSON ’23, gave their heartfelt thanks to end the night on a joyous note.
Featured Image by Steve Mooney / Heights Editor
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