Madison College’s annual Global Showcase occurred on Wednesday, March 8, at the Truax Center.
United Common Ground, the Intercultural Exchange Center and the Center for International Education sponsored the Global Showcase, a midday presentation of international performances, games and lunch.
The sponsors made global culture experiential by serving the audience various international foods. Attendees treated their palates to a meat or vegetarian Korean japchae main course with Brazilian pao de queijo, Ecuadorian majado, fried plantains and West African jollof rice as side dishes. Boba tea, flan and Spanish chocolate churros topped off the meal.
The food was only part of the immersive experience.
The showcasing acts captivated the audience with diverse performances, beginning with Alex Ahn, who hosted the group and played violin between the cultural performances.
Ahn was very popular with the audience, taking violin music requests and explaining the meaning of each cultural performance.
Last month, the Intercultural Exchange program spotted Ahn at the NACA Live 2023 (National Association of Campus Activities) in Louisville, Kentucky. Ahn’s performance was so popular the students knew they wanted to bring Ahn to campus.
“The students put a lot of work into this too – to help us plan and choose who we’re going to bring (as entertainment),” said Olivia Lemke, Program Associate Advisor of the Intercultural Exchange Center. “So it wasn’t just the staff who put this on. The students created it as well.”
The Slainte Irish Dancers followed Ahn. The dance company is a student organization dedicated to creating opportunities for college Irish dancers to continue their love of competing, performing, and practicing at UW-Madison.
Entertaining the audience next was the Handphibians, a Brazilian Percussion Ensemble, which is a group of percussionists from Madison, Wisconsin. They pride themselves on performing Brazilian and Portuguese hand drum music.
Tania Tandias Flamenco & Spanish Dance Company rounded off the cultural entertainment. The company specializes in dance forms from Spain, including both flamenco and classical Spanish styles.
“It’s nice to bring in so many cultures all at once. Whether that is through the performers or the food or just the students at Madison College’s community that come to visit to celebrate cultures, but also to learn about cultures,” Lemke said.