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Diversity of cultures on display

DUBAI — Dubai International Academy, the Emirates Hills located school, celebrated its first International Day on April 26 with a number of performances by over 100 students showcasing the myriad of cultures from around the world.

It was indeed an evening of entertainment featuring special performances that represented the cultures of a number of countries including the UAE, China, Colombia, Finland, India, Ireland, Lebanon, Malaysia, Netherlands, Palestine, Papua New Guinea, South Africa, Spain and Sweden. Parents and guests were welcomed to the International Day event by Poonam Bhojani, Executive Director of Dubai International Academy, who described it as "a momentous occasion for all of us as we celebrate our diversity and our similarity at the same time".

International Day got under way with a song from the Netherlands, by Year 5 and 6 students who performed the Flying Dutchman, a song about a haunted ship from the Netherlands that sails into eternity.

This was followed by the popular Palestinian dance, Dabkeh, which is traditionally performed during celebrations and at social events.

Another traditional dance was from the UAE, a show that stirred memories of the pearl divers of yore who used to perform on the shore as they returned home from the season on the boats.

An interesting presentation was the Taiji, from Singapore, an ancient martial art, which was developed as both a healing art and a fighting technique.

Students from Sweden sang Mamma Mia by ABBA, a tribute to the legendary Swedish rock group that rose to stardom in the 70s.

Other performances included a presentation that highlighted the cultural diversity of India, a song from Spain, a traditional song and dance act from Malaysia, a traditional dance from Samoa, a dance from the coastal region of Colombia, folk songs from China, a West African peace song by South African students accompanied by drum beats from Ghana, and the traditional stepdance from Ireland.

• UAE