On September 26th, the Formosa Association of Student Cultural Ambassadors in the San Francisco Bay Area (FASCA SFBA) took over the Berryessa Branch Library with their captivating performances. Candice Tran, the Branch Manager, introduced the group to the audience. The performance groups were welcomed with warm applause from the audience celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival.
The four performance groups that took the stage were drumming, juggling, dance, and diabolo teams, in that order. Twins Ariana and Rosanna Szurek demonstrated their camaraderie with their skillful rhythms. The small but mighty juggling group showed off different types of juggling apparatuses, which included devil sticks, juggling balls, kendama, and clubs. FASCA is known for its team dance, performed by chapters all over the country. The SFBA dance team showcased the FASCA group dance, “I Believe” by Roger Yang. Last but not least, the diabolo team took to the stage in an epic sequence of tricks. From synchronous tricks to dragon attachments and long string tricks, the maneuvers wowed the crowd. Several students even cartwheeled in one-handed while holding onto their performance tools!
During the performance day, the teams were led by FASCA Advisor Katy Wu and Assistant Advisor Emma Wang. FASCA Advisors Tony Chen and Adam Wang were present as well. Performance group instructors Liling Chen and Ming Chao attended the event to see their students show the fruits of their labor.
Christopher Shih, a FASCA Vice President and emcee at the event, shared that he thought the event was an awesome experience! “The audience and atmosphere were great, and the performances went pretty smoothly. With the exception of a few technical difficulties, the preparation and final execution were very successful.”
Albert Li, another FASCA Vice President, said that “being part of the FASCA team at the Berryessa Branch Library celebration was an unforgettable rush of pride. We kicked off our program by introducing our “FASCA” program, pouring our hearts into powerful, high-energy drumming, immediately drawing in the crowded room. The crowd cheered as our team continued on with the juggling team, effortlessly handling three balls or bowling pins simultaneously. Following that, we had our ‘I Believe Dance’, as our dance team filled the room with excitement and amazement! Finally, the Chinese yo-yo team executed high-flying tosses, pushing us to perform our absolute best despite the tight space and pressure. The absolute highlight was seeing the giant smiles on the kids' and parents’ faces when we displayed our culture, bringing in the beauty of “Formosa,” Taiwan, to each of them!
As per usual, FASCA SFBA performed beyond everyone’s expectations, pulling off yet another spectacular sequence. They took a step into the community and shared Taiwanese culture with the general public. We look forward to seeing more incredible shows of stage presence and teamwork from FASCA SFBA.
