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'Night of Nations' Program Set for E. Glenn Giltz Auditorium


About 160 students will perform on Saturday, Nov. 14 at SUNY Plattsburgh’s Night of Nations.

Carrying the theme “Away We Go,” the large-scale event showcases contemporary and traditional performance art from around the world. 

Traditionally, the audience has filled E. Glenn Giltz Auditorium in Hawkins Hall almost to capacity. About 700 people attended the free event last year. 

Preparation for the show is a learning experience for both the performers and the audience, said Carolina De la Rosa, student engagement coordinator at the SUNY Plattsburgh Global Education Office, which sponsors the show.

This year, instead of De la Rosa supervising the event planning, a group of three student interns took the reins: a public relations coordinator, logistics coordinator and artistic coordinator.

“That has had a really positive impact on the way the event is coordinated, to have this semi-professional experience where they’re putting an event on for the public,” De la Rosa said, adding that interns and performers alike have put many hours into their preparation for the event.

The performance is the result of eight rehearsals by student performers who handle all aspects of production themselves, including choreography and costume selection and assembly.

This year, Dance Corps will take the stage at Night of Nations for the first time to perform European-themed dances. Attendees will be treated to performances by Club Caribbean, El Pueblo, Cultural Fusion, the South Asian group, V nation (a Vietnamese group) and the Chinese Students Association. Students from Africa, India and Japan will also be among the performers.

While the dance numbers are a reflection of different cultures, so are the performers. Only about half are international students, De la Rosa said. So the event is an opportunity for enrichment and the development of wider perspectives for students, she said.

“It’s a really beautiful thing about these performances. Even though they’re performing something that’s traditional in Vietnam, not all students are Vietnamese.”

While the curtain goes up at 7 p.m., people usually start getting in line for admission as early at 6 p.m., she said.

“The number of students that participate — it’s pretty remarkable. It’s a really nice positive celebration of cultural diversity on campus.”

Night of Nations kicks off International Education Week, which will feature a study abroad and working internationally workshop, Killam Fellowship program information session, global coffeehouse, global education mentor tabling and an international food festival.

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