On March 6th, Fresno State’s Lao Student Association (LSA) hosted it’s Lao Heritage Night as part of Amerasia Week 2009. To celebrate such a culturally important event, LSA partnered with the Lao Youth of Fresno (LYF) and the Lao Advancement Center (LAAC). The result was an evening both informative and entertaining.
While the organizations do aim to encourage and promote knowledge of their culture, the night was also about keeping the audience entertained, a goal which the LSA and its affiliates reached easily.
How, might you ask, did the entertainment commence? With more than 12 performances!
The first performance was a classical dance, called “Sao Lao Lan Xang”. It incorporated the evening’s trademark energy, but included the use of the ancient fans. This treat was followed by a very upbeat rendition of the Savannakhet dance, “Lum Thung Wai.” Sheng Yeng, a Hmong dance group quickly followed and received plenty of hoopla and applause.
The mood turned much more romantic with the next performance, as it was a dance to the song “Lao Kouan,” which was written by a Thai suitor who fell madly in love with a Lao woman. In fact, the dance is said to be the embodiment of the elegance and passion that characterize a Lao maiden.
The evening’s tempo once again picked up with “Uncanny,” a performance that showcased the Hanumahn Dance Puppets’ modern take on Lao culture. I like that LSA integrated different forms of dances into the program.
Intermission followed, but it was apparent that everyone in the packed Satellite Student Union was eager for more entertainment. Their wishes were granted with the original skit by Diana Vongkhampha, this year’s Treasurer for the LSA. Called “1-800-DATE-A-LAO-GUY,” it offered humorous insight into the social lives of Laotian-American college students. While it must have been difficult to decide what would follow such a crowd-pleasing skit, the organization must have eventually decided upon the Fashion Show.
Excellent choice, LSA! The crowd went wild! Everyone in the audience seemed positively thrilled to have been presented with such an eye-catching treat. The costumes were beautiful and it’s great to see different regions of Laos being represented.
Following the Fashion Show was the “Lum Theu,” a traditional Lao dance that boasted of male and female dancers using special reed instruments of bamboo. The night returned to the romantic theme with “As Humans,” a silent skit that cleverly told the story of a boy confronted with the age old, universal conflict: love or pride?
The evening winded to a close with the last three musical performances, “Lum Pae Wah,” “ABDC Hip Hop,” and “Ya Luem Baan Hao,” all of which emphasized the night’s theme of blending the old with the new, of American culture and Laotian culture collaborating to bring about new and exciting customs.
Even after the final “Thank you” and the lights switched on, it was hard for the audience to say goodbye to the celebration. Lao Heritage Night was a huge success, a gem in the middle of Amerasia Week 2009!
