Tryouts for Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School’s annual Multicultural Show took place in the cafeteria after school on Sept. 3, 9 and 12. The show is hosted by the Spanish Club every year and invites students of different cultures to participate.
In tryouts, the show’s choreographers look for people who are willing to dance and love music. They are not strict about who auditions; they look for people who are passionate about the show and who are willing to put in the effort.
The students hosted tryouts for each of the dances featured in the show throughout the week. MSD student choreographers assigned each group of students to a part of the dance for their designated category to memorize. After a certain amount of time, the students performed what they remembered, and the choreographers decided who should be a part of the dance based on that performance.
In the Multicultural Show many different types of cultural dances are showcased, including the kompa gouyad, samba, merengue and bachata.
There are about 24 dances in the show and each cultural group performs one to two traditional dances. For example, the two dances centered around Indian culture will be the Bollywood and Indian fusion dances. The Spanish themed performances will showcase different dance styles of a variety of Spanish speaking countries, including the merengue, flamenco, sanjuanero and cumbia.
“Being at MSD is so diverse… it serves as a space for students to be able to showcase their cultures, to be noticed and keep their roots alive, the language alive, their music alive,” Multicultural Show director and Spanish Club sponsor Maria Garcia said.
The purpose of the Multicultural Show is to bring students together and allow them to proudly showcase their cultures. Students may find pride and enjoyment in participating in something that represents their culture and their hard work.
“What excited me the most about being a part of this event is showing others my culture and maybe inspire someone else to want to try out as well,” junior Samantha Villarroel said.
The Multicultural Show originally started out as an activity just involving the Spanish Club. As more people attended the show, more clubs wanted to participate.
“[Students participate in the show] to bring them joy, to bring them pride from the children performing on stage,” Garcia said. “It’s always very nice to feel represented. You feel happy that it continues into another generation. It’s not like you will forget who you are or where you come from.”
Many students have expressed their love for the cultural representation contained in the show, as well as their love for the show’s overall execution.
“I do think this helps bring our cultures together since our school is so diverse,” Villaroel said. “I feel like people will be able to appreciate cultures much more and educate us in learning more about other cultures.”
Clubs such as the Spanish Club, Black Student Union, Indian Student Association and Asian Student Association will be performing in the show. Students will be able to see the show during their first and second periods on Dec. 6 in the auditorium, if granted permission from their teachers.
Students and family members are also able to purchase tickets on the MSD e-store to see the show after school. All proceeds are donated to Joe Dimaggio Children’s Hospital.
“The Fundraiser serves as a great way to raise money for the children who need help, while the students are also able to enjoy themselves for a great cause,” Garcia said.
As the Multicultural Show approaches, students will be working hard after school to practice their dances multiple times a week. It is with the goal of representing their cultures in mind that all of the students selected to perform will be putting in the effort to create the best show possible.
