Photos: 2020 International Nights, UH Hilo students share their cultures through song and dance

Posted on February 24, 2020December 9, 2025 by Staff

One campus community, two nights of song and dance from around the world!

Banner: University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo 45th Annual International Nights. — Banner courtesy UH Hilo International Student Services.

Photos by Raiatea Arcuri for UH Hilo Stories.

2020 International Nights, produced by the International Student Association at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo, was held this past Friday and Saturday at the UH Hilo Performing Arts Center. The two nights of performances featured the university’s international students sharing the songs and dances of their homelands. This was the 45th Annual International Nights, continuing a beautiful tradition for UH Hilo’s students to share their cultures.

Photos are in order of appearance, click for full size.

Feb. 21, 2020

Japan: Taishoji Taiko

Drummers in black t-shirts, red lighting on stage.

Drummers, one doing a solo.

Pohnpei, FSM: Pohnpei Kaselehlie Club

Male dancers in grass skirts kneel while dancing.

View of full stage of male dancers in grass skirts, yellow lighting.

Japan: Japanese Student Association

Group of Japanese dancers, white coats, black pants. Blue lighting on stage.

Group of dancers wearing balck and white, move in unison. The stage background is lit in blue lighting.

Kosrae, FSM: Kosrae Hilo Organization

Male dancers in grass skirts, bare tops. Yellow background lighting.

Grop of male and female dancers, and several young children. Blue and white attire, blue lighting in background.

West Africa: LavaRoots Performing Arts

Female dancers with arms outstretched above head.

Three female dancers each with one foot up on drum, arms upstretched.

Sri Lanka: Thatmini Kularatna

Solo female at mic, in orange sari, arms folded low at her front. Dark yellow lighting in background.

Solo female singing at mic, she is in golden sari, one hand gestures to her side.

Samoa: Tupulaga O Samoa Mo A Taeao

Women dancers in traditional attire. Green lighting.

Group of male dancers in traditional Samoan attire.

Feb 22, 2020

Japan: Puna Taiko

Male Taiko drummer with arm raised high for beat.

Two female Taiko drummers with each drums and strap over shoulder.

Philippines: Filipino Studies Group

Men with coconuts on their chests, laughing, smiling, arms overhead.

Women is flowing orange skirts, smiling, arms raised chest level.

Tonga: Maata Fakasieiki

Solo female dancer with money raining down from audience.

Female dancer kneels down one knee with hand on hip.

Palau: Ngelekel Belau Club

Dancers in white skirts enter the stage.

Dancers sway and gesture.

Ireland: Hawaiʻi Irish Dance

Female dancers, in twos.

Man playing bag pipe.

Yap, FSM: Waab Student Organization

Line of men in grass, and cloth, attire, tall spike head dress.

Line of men standing facing audience, singing.

India: Big Island Desi

Woman in full light blue skirt, swirling around.

Woman in dark sari with arms outstretched.

Marshall Islands: Marshallese Iakwe Club

Large group of dancers some kneeling, some standing, smiling and laughing.

Large group of dancers in dark blue and white dress, men and women.

Photos by Raiatea Arcuri, a professional photographer majoring in business administration with a concentration in finance at UH Hilo.

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