With the conclusion of Festival of Nations (FON) performances this past weekend, leaders welcomed students to learn about the different cultures at Townsend Harris through dance. The leaders of Indonesian FON shared their experiences bringing Indo FON to the stage.
Senior leaders Dominique Silaban and Antonia Anju, and junior leaders Arsya Alfitri and Aurelia Liu, decided to lead Indo FON this year to share the culture, dances, and traditions of Indonesia with the THHS community. “We [wanted] to express our culture, which has not been represented in [THHS] that much,” Arsya said.
Dominique appreciates seeing people enjoy and be committed to Indo FON. She said that when she was 11, she was on a traditional Indonesian dance team for a year. “I’m glad that this FON is able to take me back to my childhood, and it’s a chance for me to participate in the [art] aspect of my culture once again,” she said.
Aurelia also cherishes watching her culture spread throughout THHS. She said, “Seeing my friends eat Indonesian food and dancing to Indonesian songs is so surreal as Indonesia isn’t the most well-known country.” She shares that she feels rewarded seeing the dedication and improvement of her dancers. “Indo FON is going quite well, and I hope it continues even after I graduate,” she said.
Similarly, Arsya enjoys the opportunity to spend time with his friends through his culture. He said, “Our goal for this FON is to make a lasting effect on [THHS] which will be here for years to come.”
Likewise, junior Irene Kim joined Indo FON for similar reasons. She expressed that the FON leaders are fantastic teachers and make practices entertaining. “[They] make it fun by joking along when we mess up or whatnot, which I really appreciate, [also]…it’s obvious that they’re close, on top of being leaders together, which brings a sense of togetherness within the FON,” she said.
Junior Brian Wirjadi said that his culture and experiences as an Indonesian was the primary reason he joined. “[The leaders] seem confident whenever they are teaching and directing. [They take] it slow while pushing the initiative and the dances [are] fairly easy even with more upbeat dances,” he said.
Dominique said, “As I’ve only known one of the other Indo FON leaders, Antonia, to be the only other Indonesian in the school, it’s refreshing to know that there is an [growing] Indonesian community at the school since I’ve become involved in Indo Fon.”
