Get excited, the UNYK multicultural dance troupe hosts their first show of the school year on Sunday, Nov. 21, under the theme “Constellation.” A mixture of dances from diverse cultures will be performed, including a dance number from the Filipino students organization and solo performances by talented students.

UNYK multicultural dance troupe, as the name entails, is comprised of dancers from different backgrounds and styles. They dance to songs in different languages and have performers who specialize in ballet, hip hop, and more. Choreography can be introduced and taught by anyone in the group, which allows for creativity, open-mindedness, and variety.

“I think what makes UNYK stand out on campus is that we’re the only multicultural dance group on campus that doesn’t have any restrictions as to what we dance to,” Yesania Villegas Vera, president of UNYK, said.

Additionally, UNYK performs for cultural groups on campus and welcomes other talented students to do performances at UNYK shows. For example, UNYK performed at the Moon Festival for the Asian Student Organization.

According to Vera, while performing for cultural groups is a fun activity, they make sure their performances are representative of the group’s cultures or the event’s theme.

“At the Asian Student Organization’s event on the Moon Festival, that dance was learned and taught in two weeks. We had fun dancing to it, but also, we wanted to make sure that that dance was appropriate for that event and that it represented the cultures,” Vera said.

Having diverse dances, performing for cultural groups and allowing students who are not necessarily part of UNYK to showcase their talents makes UNYK unique from other dance companies on campus.

The theme for this upcoming performance is constellation, which means, “anything that has to do with the stars, universe and our space,” Vera said.

UNYK consider themselves as family. They support each other and allow themselves to have fun with their performances. Two UNYK dancers explain some of the ways in which being a member of the group has helped them grow.

“It’s a really good community. I’ve made so many good friends… I have been put in the spotlight a little bit more this year and that’s out of my comfort zone but I’m glad because it’s my senior year,” senior Caitlyn Mclntyre said.

“I really view UNYK as a family. I just think that our relationship is just so good with all the people that we have. I’ve learned a lot about how to be a leader because before I was very shy and quiet, but I’ve been choreographing for a few years, and then I’m the treasurer, so I feel a lot more comfortable because of my experience with UNYK,” Lara Skarbek, dancer and treasurer of UNYK, said.

Attend the show to enjoy a variety of performances and stand a chance to win raffles. These students have worked hard, and you won’t regret attending.

“It’s been a wild semester, our dancers have been working really hard and trying to stay on top of it. And our choreographers are doing their best. So we really hope people come out because we’ve been trying so hard,” Vera said.

Entrance tickets will be on sale for $3 and raffle tickets for $1 on Monday, Wednesday and Friday of the first and second week of November. Do not miss out on this UNYK experience on Nov. 21.