International students entertain with native songs and dances Bright Kimonos, silk saris and Hawaiian leis swayed with dancers as their native music moved them. A scene out of a travel agency brochure? No, this was the fourth annual Rangeela show. Rangeela is a musical variety show featuring songs, dances and costumes native to some of the 62 countries from which 162 international Calvin students come. Rangeela gives students the opportunity to learn about the cultures of their fellow students. This year's sold out show was no different. "While it is a cultural entertainment show, it is also a learning experience for both the participants and the audience," said Priya Chandra, student director of Rangeela. "As participants working with not just international students but many American students as well, we get the opportunity to come together and understand each other. It's the ideal opportunity to get past the cultural barriers and stereotypes." Rangeela 1999 included acts from China, Indonesia, Hawaii, France, India, Korea, Hungarian, Egypt, Ghana, Eritrea and Latin America. The Hungarian Dance featured modern Hungarian folk steps danced as they might be in a social gathering among young adults. The Men wore boots, white shirts and khaki pants, while the women wore long skirts, white shirts and hair scarves. There was lots of stomping and side kicks in this dance, and tables were used as props off which the women were lifted by the men, in part of the lively dance. Another upbeat dance began as the soft jingle of jewelry clad saris took position on stage. The Indian Rajasthani Dance moved silken sari-wearing women across the FAC stage. This dance involved lots of body movement and synchronization, as the colorful saris and scarves added an Indian mystique to the dance. "Being an international student I was very interested in Rangeela (which means colorful in Hindi)," said Lena Kourdina. "I especially wanted to be in the Indian Dance. I was excited thinking about those beautiful costumes we'd get to wear, but I didn't realize at the time that it would take me a half hour to put on all the jewelry and that it would be so heavy. When we got our costumes, we had to wear them every day for sometime to get used to them." Rangeela 1999 also included five songs all sung in their native dialects. The Chinese song "Friends," spoke of a common sentiment among Calvin's international students. This song was dedicated to all of the friends that the international students had to leave behind to come to Calvin. Four men, accompanied by piano, sang this sad, sweet song. Other songs were from Egypt, Eritrea, Korea and France. The Chinese Dance -- "Farmer's Joy", told the timeless story of the joy of the farmer at harvest. The farmers wore big, pointed, straw hats, while the dancers representing harvest, danced with large, round baskets. Rangeela ended with a fashion show featuring many of the dancers wearing their own or others' native dress. This multicultural event ended with a tremendous response from the audience who for a little more than an hour escaped a winter Michigan night and received a taste of God's diverse creation. "Calvin College's attempt to become a multicultural community has certainly been successful. The college is not just another melting pot, but a community where each of us has our own place without having to give up our cultural and ethnic diversity," said Chandra. -- Melissa A. Kruse