WVMS celebrates World Language Week with annual cultural assembly

Thank you to the Warwick Valley Middle School PTA, for planning Tuesday’s outstanding assembly celebrating World Language Week! Every year, the first week of March is designated World Language Week. At WVMS, students have opportunities to participate in different activities that elucidate — and showcase — many countries from around the world and their unique cultural contributions. As in previous years, Tuesday’s assembly focused strongly on cultural dance.

See a gallery from the event below this story.

The assembly opened with a returning crowd favorite, Daniel Villegas! Mr. Villegas is a poet, percussionist, bilingual rapper, reggaeton and hip-hop artist. Mr. Villegas talked about his own cultural influences and how they have shaped his career. Mr. Villegas had his djembe with him, and used it to demonstrate some Latin rhythms. He gave a stirring spoken word performance, and even invited student volunteers onto the gymnasium floor to learn some dances.

The Warwick Center for Performing Arts also sent a group of their dance students to the middle school. The dancers perform a few solo pieces, and gave the audience insights into what a typical dance class looks like at the school. The dancers also demonstrated ballet techniques including “first”, “second”, and “third position”, as well as “fondu” (a battement performed very smoothly, like melting snow), and “pas de deux” (a dance duet in which two dancers, typically a male and a female, perform ballet steps together).

The assembly wrapped up with a performance by the dancers from Fei Tian College in Middletown. The performers from Fei Tan are also repeat participants in the WVMS World Language Week assembly. The dancers performed traditional Chinese pieces in groups of varying sizes. The students loved the elaborate costumes, and how they played into the overall storytelling of the dances. 

Thank you to the WVMS PTA, for putting on this wonderful, culturally rich event that the WVMS students enjoy so much every year. Here’s a gallery from the event…