Asian Fest Surges Back into the Limelight

East Asia’s segment featured C-Pop, K-Pop, and J-Pop. *Photo: Continental Studios*

By SAMURAH ISLAM, SABRINE UDDIN, TIFFANY DONG, and SIQING LIN

As the lights dimmed down, with over 700 tickets all sold out, Asian Fest made an exciting return to the Midwood auditorium on February 28 and 29, drawing a diverse crowd over the two-day event. Attendees eagerly anticipated the showcase, which vividly represented regions all across Asia.

“Asian Fest is such a unique and intimate event,” said Commissioner Madison Due ’24. “Everyone who participated was so passionate about their cultures, and that made me want to have a closer relationship with mine.”

When creating the playbill, the art crew took inspiration from each region’s architecture, said Hoi Lam Cen, the art director. The playbill imagined an Asian girl walking along the Silk Road that connected Asia’s different peoples.

The fest opened with a speech from the commissioners, Due and Michelle Chen ‘24, and advisors Mr. Emilio Ortega and Ms. Sun Dan. Next came a video created by the film club.

“I thought the video was really cute,” said Lubaba Labiba ‘25. “It showed the hard work each region put into their performances.”

East Asia was the first region to perform, with solo and group acts of piano, singing, and dancing featuring the C-Pop, K-Pop, and J-Pop clubs.

Due played a piano rendition of “River Flows In You” by Yiruma. “Playing it for the show showed me that I’ve come farther in my skill, not only in the pieces that I play but also in being able to perform in front of a large audience,” she said.

Jeffrey Zhen ‘24 sang “An Li Zhao Mi” by Andy Lau. “This was my dad’s favorite song,” Zhen said. “Whenever we are out at karaoke with friends and family, he would always sing it.”

Each region offered something unique. This year, South East Asia performed Tinkling, a traditional Filipino dance that involves rhythmic stepping and jumping between bamboo poles that are clapped together.

This was the “most memorable” moment for audience member Amina Muhitdinova ’25. “It was fast paced, and it was something I had never seen before,” she said. “I thought it was really impressive.”

“[The dance] requires precise coordination, focus, and consideration,” said South East Asia Director Cassandra Rivera. “If a hand gets stuck or an ankle gets caught, there's no option but to continue. It took extensive practice and concentration to master it for the performance."

Central Asia also left an impression on the crowd. Director Anahita Bahronova ‘25 tried to make sure each Central Asian country was represented, with songs such as “Nozi Nozi” from Tajikistan and the traditional Lazgi dance from Uzbekistan.

“I was proud of us for being on stage and showing parts of our culture,” said Tomiriz Abdulkhamidova ‘25. “Central Asian culture may be unknown to many, but because of the show people have come up to me asking for the names of songs and complementing our culture and our people in general.”

For South Asia, reminiscing about childhood memories was a big source of inspiration.

“Ever since I was a little kid I loved to dance, especially to Bollywood,” said South Asia Director Churaya Islam ‘24. “Showcasing my culture through dance and traditional clothing inspired me the most. Being South Asian is something I'll always be proud of."

“Me and Churaya basically picked songs that we grew up with or that were really catchy,” said Maimoonah Warraich ‘24, also a director. “A lot of dances were classic songs that pretty much every South Asian knows.”

As usual, the show ended with bang, with tons of performers gathered on stage for one last dance.

“The most memorable moment for me was when all of the groups came out and danced on stage together,” said audience member Anastasia Ababiy ‘25. “It looked like a real party with confetti flying in the air and people dancing and having a great time.”

Kayla Chen ‘24, a member of the J-Pop club, said, “My favorite dance to perform was the street women fighter move. The dance incorporated all of the KCJ board members, and since many of us were seniors it was so insane that we were able to close off the show. It was so fun to work with them for this collaboration and it was so fun to close the show with this being our last performance.”

The journey to February 28 was a long one, and balancing rehearsal and school made for a demanding schedule. The team’s standards were high.

“Going to practice on time and waking up during Midwinter Break hit me so hard,” said Grace Chen-Ngu ‘25. While most students were off, performers still had to come in from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

“We weren’t allowed to be absent more than three times, otherwise we'd be kicked out," said Joy Shi ‘25. “But I understand why they would do that because they want the audience to see the hard work we’ve put in.”

“I feel like everyone’s efforts really paid off, and I couldn’t have been prouder to be up there celebrating my culture and Asian culture as a whole with a bunch of really talented and hardworking people,” said Rivera. “I would do it all over again if I could.”

The crowd’s reaction was enthusiastic. As the curtains closed after the final act, their cheers endured throughout the auditorium.

“Leading up to the show, we obviously had many run-throughs, but nothing can compare to the energy brought to the actual show dates,” said Due. “The combination of cheering from the crowd and the exhilaration of performing is unmatched. I thoroughly enjoyed witnessing everyone having fun not only on stage but also backstage.”

“The show was really good,” said Shanijdah Imam ‘25. “It's amazing that Midwood has such an amazing community to do this.”

Now, the experience is in the rearview mirror.

“The feeling that it was ‘over’ didn't really hit until a few days after our performance,” said Due. “It's a kind of bittersweet feeling when you realize that you won't get to see the same people you've seen every day for a month as often anymore.”

“There was a slight rush of sadness knowing that it’s all over,” said J-Pop Director Xinwei Chen ‘24. “But it will become one of my best memories of high school, and I'm already so excited for how the show will go next year.”

“I just want to say that anyone who wants to join Asian Fest should definitely do it because it’s just a great way of creating a bunch of memories with great people,” said Islam. “To all the underclassmen who’ve done it before or did it this year, please keep at it and continue the legacy. We’re always going to come back and support you.”