November 17, 2005: Headlines: The Third Goal: Dance: Daily Nebraskan: About 60 people filled the room to take part in “A Night of International Dance,” sponsored by UNL’s chapter of the Peace Corps and Office of International Affairs
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November 17, 2005: Headlines: The Third Goal: Dance: Daily Nebraskan: About 60 people filled the room to take part in “A Night of International Dance,” sponsored by UNL’s chapter of the Peace Corps and Office of International Affairs
About 60 people filled the room to take part in “A Night of International Dance,” sponsored by UNL’s chapter of the Peace Corps and Office of International Affairs
The former Peace Corps volunteers, who’d served in Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, the Ivory Coast and the Kyrgyz Republic, displayed various souvenirs from their travels and answered questions about their experiences.
About 60 people filled the room to take part in “A Night of International Dance,” sponsored by UNL’s chapter of the Peace Corps and Office of International Affairs
Dance exhibition opens doors to other cultures
By JOHNNY PEREZ
November 17, 2005
Caption: Mary Mesropyan, a member of UNL/Lincoln International Folk Dancers, demonstrates cultural dances to the audience at “A Night of International Dance” at the Nebraska Union on Wednesday evening. The dancers represented many countries, including Scotland, Armenia, Russia, China and the Czech Republic. SHANNON CROSS/ DN
The rhythms of traditional Israeli and Romanian music combined with the vibrant colors of traditional dresses as ethnic folk dancers moved their legs and swayed their necks at the Nebraska Union.
The union ballroom was filled with the bright colors and music of diverse cultures Wednesday night.
About 60 people filled the room to take part in “A Night of International Dance,” sponsored by UNL’s chapter of the Peace Corps and Office of International Affairs.
The UNL/Lincoln International Folk Dancers opened up the evening’s events by showcasing three international folk dances from Greece, Israel and Romania.
For audience members who attended the event wearing their dancing shoes, the six members of the dancing troupe followed their performance with lessons in some basic French-Canadian and Israeli folk dances.
Enid Newman, a member of the group, said while she didn’t know much about the specific purpose of the event, it was important to educate the community about other cultures and the work done by local Peace Corps volunteers.
The event was not designed as a recruiting tool for the Peace Corps, but rather to celebrate ethnic diversity, said Gretchen Mills, Peace Corps coordinator at UNL.
“It’s important to open the doors of the world to Nebraskans,” she said.
Following the dance exhibition, the audience was invited to visit with a group of local Peace Corps volunteers and representatives from the student-led Global Friends of Japan organization.
The former Peace Corps volunteers, who’d served in Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, the Ivory Coast and the Kyrgyz Republic, displayed various souvenirs from their travels and answered questions about their experiences.
Former President John F. Kennedy founded the Peace Corps, which will celebrate its 45th anniversary next year, in order to recruit college graduates to volunteer in various countries overseas, Mills said.
Volunteers go through a three-month training program to prepare for their two-year service tour. While in their assigned country, volunteers provide assistance in areas of expertise such as information technology, health care and business.
Mills said 29 UNL graduates currently are serving overseas.
Don Bush, a graduate student at Union College in Lincoln, said his involvement in the Peace Corps stemmed from a personal desire to gain experience about societies other than his own.
However, he said telling others about the experience he gained was not enough to make people’s lives better – a goal he aimed for during his Peace Corps service.
“You can talk about it, but people have to go and see it for themselves,” he said.
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Story Source: Daily Nebraskan
This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; The Third Goal; Dance
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