East Portland Expo: Multiculturalism Alive and Well

Native American Dancers

This weekend, people from all over the world came to Ed Benedict Park in East Portland to celebrate being neighbors.  There were booths with information about different organizations in the area, vendors from Cambodian, Russian, Thai and Mexican restaurants, and tents set up to be “villages” from different parts of the world.  Center stage were the performers—dancers, musicians, artists, people—who defied the hot afternoon to exert themselves in sharing a little of their heritage with their neighbors. 

Some of the many countries represented on stage were India, Russia, Thailand, El Salvador, Mexico, China, Nepal, Iraq, Argentina and the good ol’ USA.  There were Bollywood dancers, Native American dancers from the Pacific Northwest, Russian Dancers, a Mexican ‘Ballet Folclórico,’ and a plethora of Indian dancers. 

Some of the highlights were Guru Smitha’s traditional Indian dancers, whose precisely coordinated movements drew attention to the intense training required to be able to control every movement of your body in expressing a song.  As the guru said, “there are rules for everything in this dance; hand gestures, feet, even when to blink your eyes.”

The Lion Dance, traditionally only performed on the Chinese New Year, had the crowd in hysterics with the antics of the two exquisitely ornate lions, who pranced around onstage and off, pretending to pounce and playing fetch with one of the drummers. 

The Lion Dance

Iraqi men joined hands with each other and their neighbors to dance in circles around the stage, grinning and laughing in the festival atmosphere while the two Iraqi guitarists accompanied with invigorating dance music and poignant love songs.  

Iraqi Men

Russian Dancers

Several bollywood dancers demonstrated their moves and taught audience members a dance to Jai Ho, which was performed with enthusiasm by all in attendance.  Some girls from Russia brought everyone cookies to eat while they danced and sang "Kalinka."

The day concluded with the crooning of several Sinatra songs, while neighbors from all cultures danced together, coming together in a vibrant expression of multi-cultural acceptance and appreciation. 

“We can promote peace through art!” proclaimed the emcee, and everyone agreed.   



Imitating the big girl bollywood dancers