The Red and Black

Issue date: 4/20/07 Section: Variety

Media Credit: JULIA NORMAN Members of the Filipino American Student Association perform Sayaw Sa Bangko and Tinikling, traditional Filipino dances.

For one night only, peek into the culture of the Philippines.

Tonight, the Filipino Student Association presents its second annual ethnic night entitled "Pinoy Ako," which translates to, "I am Filipino."

This year's show follows the main character, Sean, as he return from his vacation in the Philippines for his first day of high school. During the year he struggles to find his identity as he travels through different social groups.

"Last year, for our first annual show, we documented students of Filipino ancestry traveling to the Philippines to learn more about the culture," said Michael Lionbarger, president of the Filipino Student Association from San Jose, Calif.

"This year we wanted to put a modern spin on things. The show truly depicts a lot of the stereotypes associated with Filipino youth."

Traditional Filipino cuisine, such as pancit, a rice noodle dish with a vegetable medley that includes cabbage and carrots, will be available for the audience to sample before the show.

This year's show will feature a variety of entertainment, including the skit and traditional dances such as binasuan and tinikling.

Binasuan is a traditional dance done during the Barrio Fiesta that commemorates the end of harvest. Performed by women, the dance is a true balancing act that tests and displays a woman's grace and poise.

A glass is filled with a beverage and placed atop their heads while they dance with one lighted candle in each hand. The ladies glide across the floor, twirling their arms in the air, never once spilling the beverage or dropping a candle.

"With Binusaun you have to be comfortable with the glass on your head, and it requires practice," said Lisa Soluren, a junior dietetics major from Atlanta. "After you are comfortable with the glass, then you can add liquid."

Tinikling, which is performed with two bamboo poles, represents the gracefulness of a bird walking through bamboo traps left in rice fields.

"Tinikling is a really popular dance," said Soluren. "When we perform we mostly perform tinikling, because when people think of Filipino dance it is the first thing they think of."

In addition to dance performances, Tito Felix, an alternative Filipino band, will perform original songs from its album "All Good Things."

"This is the first time we are playing in Athens, so we are pretty excited," said band member Marc Cordon, a graduate student pursuing a doctorate in student affairs. "We are pretty much the house band in between the skits and then at the end of the show."

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