Photo Essay: UH Hilo International Nights 2018, celebrating the many cultures on campus

Posted on March 7, 2018February 6, 2024 by Staff

International Nights is a special time each year when UH Hilo students celebrate, in song and dance (and a poem this year), the many international cultures represented on campus.

Photos by Bob Douglas.

Woman at podium, at mic. Large floral arrangement in front of podium. — Student gives introductory remarks at Friday’s performance of International Nights, Feb. 23, 2018, UH Hilo.

The University of Hawai‘i at Hilo hosted the annual International Nights on Feb. 23 and 24, 2018. Each year, the UH Hilo International Student Association produces a two-night show that features dance performances from the many different cultures and countries represented at UH Hilo. International Nights is a long-standing tradition at the university that spans over three decades, and is a favorite event on campus among students, the community and visitors.

Photos are arranged in order of appearance during the two-night event. Click photos to enlarge.

JAPAN
Taishoji Taiko
“Yatai Bayashi”

Group of Taiko drummers sit on floor, legs extended, beating drums. The light is red.

USA
Performing Arts Center Drama Club
“Disney Medley”

Group on stage preforming, green background.

Two males on stage, casual modern dress.

Group on stage, one points to the wings.

POHNPEI, FSM
Pohnpei Kaselehlie Club
“Dokia & Wen”

Group dancing in grass skirts, blue light.

AFRICA
Melanin Magic
“Contemporary African Dance”

Female dancers in short, ethnic print wraps.

Male dancer on knees. arms outstretched upward to sky, dark lighting.

Two women dancers doing an athletic move, one holding the other up off the ground, back to back.

Women dancers with arms outstretched upward.

Women dancers standing in a line. arms crossed on their chests.

PHILIPPINES
Bayanihan Club
“Kapamilya Tayo: The Culture of the Philippines”

Group carrying in lead female dancer on bamboo platform.

Group photo of female dancers with floral hoops.

KOSRAE, FSM
Kosrae Hilo Organization
“Sra Lo Tol, Hula Dance & Kasrpacsr”

Women dancing in floral sarongs, white tops, stage is lit with orange.

Males dancers in grass skirts, shirtless, tatoos on faces and arms, holding sticks.

Males dancers in grass skirts, shirtless, tatoos on faces and arms, clicking sticks.

Line of males dancers in grass skirts, shirtless, tatoos on faces and arms.

Women and men dancing together. Women in front seated, men in back standing.

Women and men dancing together.. The men stand in the back.

Women and men dancing together.. Men in front, women in back.

KOREA
“Three Treasures of Korea”

Solo female dancer in modern white gauze costume, graceful movements. Black background.

Blue light. Female dancers in modern cheerleading costume doing modern dance.

Red light. Female dancers in modern cheerleading costume doing modern dance.

Peach light. Female dancers in modern cheerleading costume doing modern dance.

SAMOA
Tupulaga O Samoa Mo A Taeao
“O oe o le toa, e lua a’u pelu, o lo’u fatu, ma le atua”

Large group dancing, fiber wraps, head dresses and adornments, male and female.

With woman at the front in large black head dress, large group dancing, fiber wraps, head dresses and adornments, male and female.

Close up of single female seated with kawa bowl.

Lead male dancer with arms extended to audience.

Group ending performance, money strewn all over the stage.

TAHITI
Te Ora Nui
“Te Fara”

Lead female dancer emerges from center. Female dancers in grass skirts, in Tahitian tradition.

Group of female dancers in grass skirts, in Tahitian tradition.

A side view of female dancers in grass skirts, in Tahitian tradition.

Close up of female dancers in yellow grass skirts, tall head dresses, in Tahitian tradition.

JAPAN
Sei Gai Ha with Japanese Student Association
“Yosakoi & Saran-bushi”

Women dancers in blue and yellow Japanese costume.

Women dancers black pants, yellow and green tops, holding red objects.

Male dancers arms above heads, They wear black and red.

Men and women dancing in sync crouched down to the side arms extended.

Men and women dancers, black and red, standing but feet far apart, arms extended.

Dancers crouched very low, to the side with left legs and arms extended.

Close up of one male dancer, black and red costume, arms jutted out at sides.

A static pose of men and women with arms extended up and out.

PALAU
Ngelekel Belau Club
“Tribute to the 16 Mother States of Palau”

Women and little girl in teal blue tops with ethnic print, and white grass skirts, dancing, using arms and hand gestures.

Women and men dancing. Flowing white grass skirts.

IRELAND
Hawai‘i Irish Dance
“Irish American Celebration!”

Women dancers in green skirts, black top and tights. Men in background with flags.

Women dancers in green skirts, black top and tights. Three women facing each other, each with one leg raised.

Line of women dancers, featuring one woman dancing at front.

Woman dancing on down turned wooden barrel.

Women dancers in green skirts, black top and tights. Men in background with flags waving.

TONGA
Tonga Otumotu Anga‘ofa
“Tau‘olunga”

Group of women dancing in a line across the stage, in pink kapa, with headdresses.

Close up of two women dancing in pink kapa., with headdresses.

Close up of several women dancing in pink kapa., with headdresses.

Close up of woman in front of group with her hand held in a fist.

Group of women dancing with hands raised to their left, in pink kapa., with headdresses.

Group of women dancing in pink., with headdresses. Money floating down in the air.

Group of women have finished dancing, they wear pink kapa, with headdresses. Man throwing money in the air toward the dancers.

JAPAN
Puna Taiko
“Kazan/Expanding”

Group drumming traditional Japanese drums. Men in front have their arms held high in preparation of landing sticks on the drums. Blue lighting in background.

Group drumming traditional Japanese drums.. Man in front is kneeling down. Blue background.

Man drumming large horizontal drum held up on a large wooden stand.

Group of men and women drumming traditional Japanese drums.. Red background.

INDIA
Shiv-Shakti
“Indian Fusion”

Woman in orange and yellow sari with arms raised above head.

Women in modern dance attire doing gymnastic type moves.

Women in modern dance attire doing back bends.

Woman in orange sari doing dance with arm gestures.

Woman on roller skates with flowing props.

Female dancer with flames shooting from her hands.

Female dancer kneeling, with flames shooting from her hands.

USA
INT Dance Squad
“We Are…”

Male standing on one hand, feet rising off floor.

MARSHALL ISLANDS
Marshallese Iakwe Club
“Biit Dance & Song”

Group dancing wearing black with ethnic print stripe on men's shirts and print on women's dresses. Men have hats, women shell hair band.

Women in long dresses, moving forward on stage.

Randon at the mic reading his poem. — Randon Jack, from Marshall Islands, recites a poem he wrote about rising sea levels in his homeland. Click here to learn more about Jack and to read the poem in its entirety.

Bob Douglas is a local artist, photographer, and sometimes part-time student who volunteers his photography skills to the Office of the Chancellor and UH Hilo Stories.

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Photo Essay: UH Hilo International Nights 2018, celebrating the many cultures on campus

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