Through music and dance, the world came to Clark
A dark stage, hundreds of seats filled with unfamiliar faces, and the pressure to dance to perfection while opening the show. I was nervous — but ready — for my first-ever International Gala.
Our routine was fast-paced, and before I even knew it, I was on the floor as we were holding our final pose. The three minutes on stage had flown by, and despite the pre-show jitters, the dance went exactly as we’d hoped.
Gala is a yearly tradition and one of Clark’s marquee events, hosted by the International Student Association (ISA). Students represent countries from around the world in a spring showcase of dance, music, and fashion, held this year on March 21 in the Kneller. Following hours of student-choreographed dances, the event culminates in a flag ceremony where students represent their home countries, a rich demonstration of Clark’s vastly diverse community.
I grew up in Uzbekistan, and as one of just a few Central Asians at Clark, it’s been difficult to adjust to college life without connecting to people from my culture. But I found commonalities with peers participating in Gala’s Eastern European dance, performing routines based on the Romanian, Russian, and Ukrainian cultures. I was able to be around people who spoke Russian, which feels rare on campus, and many of the participants were also immigrants or from immigrant families. It gave me a space to be around what I grew up with in Uzbekistan: People from similar backgrounds who spoke one of the languages I grew up learning.
Daily practices leading up to the event are dubbed “hell week,” a phrase that felt like an exaggeration until it was here. It was very overwhelming. I had to keep up with my regular schoolwork, extracurriculars, and my job while spending early mornings and late nights at practice. The same week, one of my fellow dancers and I had an exam, so we scheduled time to attend office hours and study while keeping up with practice. Many ISA members completed their work while at rehearsals.
The first practice took place on a Sunday in January. Gala’s directors have been committed to choreographing the routines, some even since last year’s showcase. The first few practices, everyone was still getting used to dancing because, like me, many people had no prior experience. The idea of doing a dance routine in front of hundreds of people was nerve-wracking at first. However, as time went on and we practiced every week, it became less intimidating.
On the day of the show, I had to check in from 9:30 a.m. to noon, and then had a break until 4:30 p.m. Every performer was discussing their planned naps and getting ready for the stage.
My dance group opened the show, and the hours of rehearsal paid off. The performance was meant to represent the folklore of Eastern European countries, legends surrounding witchcraft, fortune-telling, curses, and sacrifices. We blended modern and traditional songs into the dances, and our costumes were all black with red gloves and red scarves for a pop of bold color.
After we opened, I watched the rest of the show from the squash courts. Although my family wasn’t able to attend, my mom watched the entire thing live and sent it to all my relatives, even those back in Uzbekistan.
I represented Uzbekistan for the flag ceremony with the help of my friends Hussein Roberts ’29, who was one of the Gala hosts, Luis Salinas ’29, and Zion Brown ’29. None of them are from Uzbekistan, however, they offered to accompany me because I was terrified of doing it alone. We also represented Gambia to support another friend so he wouldn’t have to be alone on stage.
During my senior year in high school, I remember visiting the Clark website and seeing pictures from Gala 2025. It felt like a full-circle moment being one of the students who performed on the same stage a year later. This experience bonds students, and it is one that I hope to participate in throughout my four years at Clark.
