{"id":27693,"date":"2026-03-25T16:52:39","date_gmt":"2026-03-25T20:52:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/?post_type=story&p=27693"},"modified":"2026-03-26T10:56:15","modified_gmt":"2026-03-26T14:56:15","slug":"performing-in-gala-was-a-marquee-experience","status":"publish","type":"story","link":"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/2026\/03\/25\/performing-in-gala-was-a-marquee-experience\/","title":{"rendered":"Performing in Gala was a marquee experience"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n

Through music and dance, the world came to Clark<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A dark stage, hundreds of seats filled with unfamiliar faces, and the pressure to dance to perfection while opening the show. I was nervous \u2014 but ready \u2014 for my first-ever International Gala. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u2019d hoped.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Rukhshona Marufova ’29, sitting in center. Photo by Natalie Hoang \u201925, MBA \u201926 <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Gala is a yearly tradition and one of Clark\u2019s marquee events, hosted by the International Student Association (ISA)<\/a>. 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\u2019s vastly diverse community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Photo by Natalie Hoang \u201925, MBA \u201926 <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Daily practices leading up to the event are dubbed \u201chell week,\u201d 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The first practice took place on a Sunday in January. Gala\u2019s directors have been committed to choreographing the routines, some even since last year\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n