By Angelina Hu, Leah Huang
Thank you everyone for an amazing Unity in Diversity 2022 show! Over the course of the pandemic, we have all had to struggle to adapt and come together, and this year has been no different. We have worked hard to put this performance together, and we’re glad you all enjoyed it. Let’s enjoy the experience in hindsight together, shall we?
Unity held a total of four shows, one for each grade level on February 3rd and 7th. A total of eight countries were represented this year: Japan, China, Mexico, Afghanistan, India, America, Argentina, and Korea. While the show seemed smaller when simply looking at these numbers, its impact was just as great as it has always been.
All four performances ran quite smoothly, minus a handful of technical blips in music during the junior show. The days, weeks, and months leading up to the final performance, however, have been a trial of perseverance. Getting together large groups of students to practice was a challenge, partly due to the pandemic and the regulations it has brought about, but also partly because everyone is exceedingly busy! In short, we suffered from typical “post-pandemic syndrome,” a phrase referring to the fact that after not doing a thing for a whole year, we’ve all forgotten how to do anything.
However, we pushed through, held our meetings (thank you Leah for dedicating your Sundays to hosting rehearsals at home!), and put together the acts, piece by piece. It’s no secret that it was hard, albeit fun and a way to bond with peers–some acts lost people, some acts were added to the list two months into production. Getting groups of people to all learn the dance and perform it in sync was a hurdle in and of itself! But it paid off, and after a series of staging practices after school and dress rehearsals, we made it to showtime.
Unity started off strong this year with a gorgeous Isshin-ryu karate kata from Japan, followed by China’s traditional dance, solo pipa, and Táng shī (traditional poetry). Dancing (and pretty costumes) by Mexico and Afghanistan livelied up the scene, and South India’s performance kept up the energy. A lovely guitar solo brought with it a soothing calm, followed by a gorgeous solo song with drum, bass, and keyboard accompaniment. Bollywood and Senior India displayed high spirits in their dancing, and America’s Dixieland Jazz kept the heat up with their tribute to Louis Armstrong.
A beautiful guitar solo for Argentina was followed by the iconic kumdo and taekwondo combination that featured the arts of a real wooden sword. K-Pop’s concluding acts exceeded all expectations, highlighting a vast array of songs and dancing talents.
After seeing such a vast array of artistic prowess, it’s hard not to get caught up in the excitement. The spirit of Unity itself is right in the name– to unite and celebrate our diverse backgrounds and cultures, and to uplift everyone around us, all as fellow students of East High. We are extremely lucky to call ourselves part of such an accepting community and to be able to celebrate our differences. We have so many hardworking people we owe thanks to for making this all possible. First and foremost, thank you to everyone on Stage Crew for handling all of our last-minute changes and making everything run smoothly! This includes Chris Kerr, Corey Kerr, Caden Frank, Swetha Hari, Jackson Heim, Macey Smith, and supervisor Mr. McCluskey.
We’d also like to thank the music department for allowing us to utilize the band and orchestra rooms for rehearsals, as well as our lovely MCs, Danny Kwon and Danielle Guo. A special thank you also goes to Kennedy Intihar for creating the intro video that played at the start of the show.
Of course, thank you to all of our gorgeous and incredibly talented performers! From dancing to singing to instruments to martial arts, you all should be proud of what the fruits of your labor have blossomed into. It was thanks to your hard work that the show could go on. The bonds that have been formed by this experience of learning, stumbling, and finally triumphing together can never be replaced.
Finally, a huge thank you to our supervisors, Mr. Huber and Mrs. Korn, for dedicating themselves to organizing our wild and crazy club, as well as our incredible student officers: treasurer Kareena Cheruvu, secretary Yoonseo Lee, vice president Sanjana Suresh, and president Leah Huang. The time and effort you have put into this performance is clear in every rehearsal and every act, and we hope that you will be able to look back on this show and say that you are happy with the outcome.
