Carnival 2011: A Multicultural Adventure At Clarke

A huge and enthusiastic crowd of Carnivale celebrants turned up at on Thursday night for a glittering and colorful multicultural evening of song, dance and genial mayhem -- “The Clarke Carnival,” organized by a board of students and faculty at the school.

The hour-long program drew a capacity crowd into the school’s cavernous auditorium, who were treated to everything from Irish step dancing and Italian crooning to belly dancing, South American salsa, Indian fusion, South African Waka-Waka, Korean dance fusion and a classical cello solo.

The evening was organized by a multicultural show board that was headed up by president Alison Green, with board members Anner Brioso, Daniel Korman, Sarah Meltzer and Misha Khan; and with the help of advisors Irene Fotakis and Georgia Kamitsis.

The ample Clarke stage was beautifully decorated with a glittering backdrop, oversize carnival-style masks, festively lit palm trees and other props as the evening proceeded. A small jester-styled troupe, headed by Green and Sarah Metzger, introduced and provided running slapstick commentary between numbers, as the AV crew set up each number to broad applause.

After a lovely rendering of the national anthem by Sarah Shaiman, the night was on. First came an Indian Fusion piece with seven dancers in south asian clothing. Vanessa Bedoya, Katie Ceris and Omary Quijada followed by a Cumbia, from the Colombian coastal region, in splendid traditional dresses. An Afro-Cuban Loca followed, danced by Samantha Desgranges, Jessica Oliveira and Ingrid Reyes.

Then came Taeguk Mun, who performed a high energy strum and bow cello solo that drew an ovation.

As the evening continued, the audience was treated to an Indian Solo (Niyati Sangani), the ever popular La Bamba (Cesar Alvarenga), and a heartstopping rendering of Andrea Bocelli’s Time To Say Goodbye, sung by Sarah Shaiman.

Things got only more exotic from there. Jessica Oliveira contributed a belly dance, Apeksha tayal a Bollywood inspired dance, Amanda Oliveira sang a dignified Portuguese song, Lauren McManus spun a playful ‘Drunken Gauger’ Irish Step Dance, and a troupe of dancers interpreted the South African flavored World Cup Theme Song, 2010.

And the Seoul Sisters -- Melanie Garces, Stephanie Hsu, Kimberly Llanto, Emily Ramos and Alexis Sobecki -- provided a picture-perfect Korean fan-dance moment to the festivities.

Big, choreographed Latin numbers -- swinging Merengue-Bachata and a ‘café under the stars’ styled Salsa, provided the build up to the big, all-in finale -- a wild ‘Danza Kuduro,’ featuring all the participants dressed in carnival regalia.

The evening, proceeds from which went to the International Red Cross, was a glittering, memorable affair.

“Advisors do a phenomenal job every year,” said principal Gerri Doddato, who was on hand to help direct the evening as it moved forward. “But this year they out-did themselves with the variety of cultures they were able to represent in the acts. They really put the multi- in multicultural this year.”