Culture X Accessible Timeline
Culture X, sponsored by the ICC, is an annual event celebrating diversity, inclusion, and multiculturalism on campus. Every year, student performers educate, collaborate, and entertain through dance, music, film, poetry, comedy, fashion shows, and theater to create a thrilling, powerful, and exuberant show!
1997: Birth of Culture X
At an open dialogue night hosted by ICC in Fall 1997, 50 students gathered to discuss racial tensions on campus. During the event, Cary Weir Lytle ’98 created the idea, strategy, and name of Culture X. However, it would take another year and half before this dream became realized.
1998 Funding & Collaboration
In the Spring of 1998, Gopal Swamy ‘99, Cary Weir Lytle ‘98, and Nina Wang ‘99 spoke to ICC Director, Rev. Nathaniel Mays, who procured funding for the event in less than two weeks. That same semester, Gopal Cary, and Nina visited every ICC club e-board to convince them to buyin to the event. Very few clubs had faith or trust in the university, so it was a challenge.
The First Culture X
The first Culture X was coordinated by Gopal Swamy '99, Adarsh Vasanth (Baddu) '99, and Nina Wang '99. Cary Weir Lytle '98, returned to help the core event planners map out their strategy too. Various ICC clubs and groups across campus performed together in the first Culture X as part of the E Pluribus Unum Weekend. The participating clubs included the Vietnamese Association, South Asian Club (SAC), Brandeis University Hawaiian Organization (BUHO), Hillel, B'yachad (Israeli folk dance troupe), Brandeis Lion Dance Troupe, Capoeira, ¡Ahora!, among others. The audience was guided through the performance by the show's humorous emcee, Labid Aziz '99. Co-coordinator Nina Wang '99 said, "The shining light of this whole production is the fact that it grew out of adversity; we channeled and transformed all that energy to make something beautiful and wonderful which we shared with everyone."
Second Culture X
Featuring performances from over 15 different student groups, the second annual Culture X was immensely popular. Nadia Hashimi '00, one of the co-coordinators, said, "the purpose in putting the show together is to establish a tradition to unite the student body and celebrate diversity. More than 15 clubs performed in Culture X and each one was unique and added something special to the night's festivities." Among the performing groups were the Brandeis Lion Dance Troupe, "mystery guest" Bill Boylan (Brandeis post office worker), Brandeis Religious Pluralism and Spiritual Committee, UMOJA! (Brandeis step team), and others! During the second fashion show, Bobby Brayboy '02, one of the participants, unexpectedly stopped the performance with a passionate call to end racism and hatred at Brandeis; his call was met with overwhelming applause from the audience. One of the emcees, Owusu Anaheh-Firempong II'01 said, "Culture X gets things done. It shows people that a diverse group of students can get together and promote positive ideals such as unity and community." As one of the most popular and well-attended events of the year, Culture X had an audience of over 850 people. Learn more about Culture X in the Justice's article, "Culture X wows audience."
2001: Third Culture X
Culture X was the pinnacle of Brandeis International Week. Creating continuity between diverse acts, the show's storyline followed a young student, played by Tamyra Meaders '03, trying to write a paper on culture at Brandeis. Performing groups included B'yachad (Israeli folk dance troupe), Japanese Student Organization (JSA), Brandeis University Hawai'i 'Ohana (BUHO), Capoeira Club, ¡Ahora!, Eizeh Yofe, Jewish Fella A Cappella, Hip Hop Forever, Brandeis Lion Dance Troupe, H.O.T., African Dance Troupe, and more! Read more about the 2001 Culture X show in "Culture X presents real diversity."
2002: Fourth Culture X
Celebrating the ICC's 10th anniversary, Culture X filled Spingold. Abbas Qureshi '02 and Sophia Moon '02 emceed the event. ¡Ahora!, Caribbean Connexion, Brandeis Lion Dance Troupe, Eizeh Yofe, SDR (Brandeis hard rock band), and others showcased their talents onstage. This year's Culture X also featured alumni speeches from Rick Sawyer, Dean of Student Life, and President Jehuda Reinharz. Some of the acts ranged from Brandeis student Jasmine Vallejo '03 sharing a bilingual poem about the challenges and struggles Latina women face due to cultural and societal pressures to Caribbean Connexion's "Caribbean Fever 2002" (blending Reggae and Soca), to a cultural mixing of traditional styles by the Brandeis Lion Dance Troupe and West African dance.
2003: “X-ploring / Co-Xistence / X-perience / X-Change / X-Citement
This year, Culture X was held on the day after the newly-announced Diversity Day at Brandeis. It was coordinated by four students: Ana Yoselin Bugallo '03, Shalwah Evans '05, Bryan Jung '04, and Chieko Nakai '03. Ebone Bishop '04 and Judy Olivo '04 emceed the evening. 2003 marked the first Culture X with a designated theme: "X-ploring. I Co-Xistence | X-perience | X-change | X-citement." Performances involved members from the Brandeis Ballroom Dance Team, students of the Transitional Year Program (TYP), Lion Dance Troupe, UMOJA, Southeast Asia Club, Korean Drum Ensemble, ¡Ahora!, Triskelion, Brandeis Black Student Organization (BBSO), among others. There were also moments in the show when the audience was encouraged to critically engage with social issues related to diversity. For example, Marci Surkes '03 and Ana Yoselin Bugallo '03 created a slideshow presentation entitled "Where There Was No Trail." The presentation highlighted historical trailblazers of equality and justice. Reflecting on Culture X, Bugallo said, "Culture X is not about being what 'they' think about you, but being who you really are...All the performers looked happy because they knew while they were performing, they had Brandeis in the palm of their hand.
2004: “It's About Time”
Decorated with mirrors and clocks, the Levin Ballroom echoed this year's theme of time. The Culture X coordinators included Tae Youn Kim '06, Jenn Kim '04, Aaron Schwid '05 and Yanina Seltzer '05. Culture X showcased a variety of acts including a presentation on the Jewish ritual of Havdalah, a rap medley by Jules Jeudy '06 and Gleen Wright '05 called "Lend Me Your Ears," and "The Greatest Fashion Show Ever." Featuring designs from the past 50 years, students and faculty walked down the runway in themed pairs. Three student-produced films were also featured; for example, "The Not-So-Silent Generation: A Ford Hall Story" by Seth Bernstein '06, recounted how the then-demolished Ford Hall was seized by students in 1969 as they called for rights and recognition for black students on campus. Culture X ended with the audience and performers dancing in celebration to Ludacris' "Stand-Up." Read more about the 2004 Culture X show in "It's about time...Culture X”
2005: Embrace the Journey
2005's theme, Embrace the Journey, sought to emphasize the importance of individual journeys through life. Among the performing groups were the Brandeis African Dance Club, Brandeis Salseros, Indian Fusion Dance, So Unique (Brandeis step team), Brandeis Bellydancing Ensemble, Adagio Dance Ensemble, Brandeis Ballroom Dance Team, and ¡Ahora! Jamele Adams, the Assistant Dean of Student Life for the Support of Diversity, delivered a spoken-word piece.
2006: “Many Voices, One Vision”
More information coming soon
2007: “1 Love”
Prerna Bhargava '07, one of the coordinators for this event, said, "The theme of Culture X is celebrating our differences...Culture X is really cool because people who don't normally come together work together to show that despite the fact that we all have our differences, we all have this unity." Some of the performance highlights included "Mandiani" (dance number inspired by the Mandigo people of Senegal), Salseros Brandeis salsa dance troupe), "SEAC Fusion Special" (fusion dance number incorporating Burmese traditional dance and American Hip-hop), "Fever" by So Unique (Brandeis step performance), Adagio, B'yachad, Japanese Student Association (JSA)/South Asian Student Association (SASA), and Hooked on Tap (H.O.T.). Learn more about the 2007 Culture X show in the Justice's article, "Whole lotta love."
2008: Under Construction:
This year, Culture X was part of the Bernstein Festival of the Arts. Traditionally held in Levin Ballroom, this year's Culture X changed venues for the Springold Theater in order to accommodate more seating options. It was also the first year the audience needed a ticket (still free) to attend. This year's theme was "Under Construction: Identities at Work." Performing groups included the Korean Student Association (KSA), Adagio Dance Ensemble, Voices of Soul, Mochila (band combining Arabic musics and jazz), Japanese Student Association, Brandeis Cheerleading Squad, Southeast Asia Club (SEAC), Brown Sugar, BC3, B'yachad, So Unique, and Jewish Fella Acapella. Read more about the 2008 show in "Culture X wows audience despite changes."
2009: Culture X Rise
Back in Levin Ballroom, Culture X was massively successful and fully packed! In fact, the organizers had to announce that all the tickets were gone three days before the event. The theme was "Rise Up." The coordinators explained (via Facebook), "By working together, while celebrating and embracing the diverse identities that makeup the world, there is hope that we can rise above the odds and overcome any barriers that have been imposed on us. Through our talents and passions, we need to come together as one and rise up in an effort to create a newfound hope!" This year, Culture X partnered with Live Campus 2009, a nationwide poverty-reduction program sponsored by the Millennium Campus Network. The performers included Salseros, SASA, Brandeis Swingers, Voices of Soul (acappella group), Saaya, So Unique, Chak De!, JSA, Hooked on Tap, and Zullo.
2010: 10th Anniversary: Limitless Dreams
Culture X continued to be "Brandeis' biggest annual campus-wide cultural event." Although hailed as the 10th anniversary of Culture X, Culture X's first ever show was in 1999 - and the planning dates back to Fall 1997. Regarding the 2010 theme, Kevin Yim '10 said, "Culture X is the embodiment of the idea that everyone [brings] something special to the table - every group has a special way to show their cultural backgrounds. This year, our theme is "Limitless Dreams." We want to emphasize just how far we've come with the success of this event and our promotion of acceptance, cooperation, and diversity." The four student coordinators were Taisha Sturdivant '11, Talisa Torres '10, Ann-Nin Wong '11, and Kevin Yim '10. The three- hour celebration showcased 24 different performance groups including KSA, Aatma, African Dance Club, ¡Ahora!, BBSO, KAOS Kids, Chak De!, Mixed Heritage Club, Mochila, Brandeis Step Team, So Unique, and SEAC. Another feature was the Paseo dance, a traditional Filipino dance with a modern flare; watch the performance here!
2011: Up, Up, and Away
Hoping to "blow [the audiences'] expectations away," Culture X 2011 did just that! The committee comprised four students: Ann Nin Wong 11, Divya Kanneganti '11, Karen Hu '12, and Akash J. Vadalia '12. Flying solo, Amanda Dryer 13 presented her poem, "Truth: A Letter to My Zadie," which was written in the voice of her grandfather, a Holocaust survivor. Osaze Akerejah '14 also performed a solo rap. Showcasing their talents, the following groups were featured on Culture X: BAASA, ISA, ¡Ahora!, Students for Tibet, KSA, Salseros, Brandeis Cheerleading Squad, KAOS Kids, Dhoom (dance group blending Bollywood, modern Indian culture, and American culture), Brandeis Swingers, So Unique, Brandeis Saxophone Quartet, Adagio, LUKE, a Russian folk dance group, ADC (African Dance Club), SEAC.
2012: “The World is Our Stage”
Another celebratory, sold-out performance, 2012 Culture X featured over 24 different acts. This year's coordinating team was chaired by all seniors: Karen Hu, Yvonne Perez, Yeiri Robert, Alison Uliss, and Sriya Srikrishnan. By selling T-shirts and samosas (during intermission), Culture X raised over $300 for donations dedicated to SOUL: School of Unity and Liberation. SOUL "seeks to promote cultural awareness and diversity in society through educating and training the voice of our future: children." WOCA made their first performing appearance this year - dancing to Beyoncé! Vicky Lee '13, one of the performers, reflected, "Culture X] allows us to celebrate our culture and what we love to do. The best part was bonding with my group...and messing up together." The performing groups included: So Unique, Bolsa Nova (band), Kazmi (slam poetry), Chak De!, Women of Color Alliance (WOCA), Kaos Kids, KSA, BAASA, Adagio, Haiti Initiative, Salseros, Brandeis Breakdance Club, rapper Saz. É (Osaze Akerejah '14), Brandeis Ballroom Formation Team, Brandeis Argentinian Tango Society, Brandeis Bhangra.
2013: Light Up the Night
Filling the Levin Ballroom to capacity, 2013 Culture X started with a light performance by Alex Esakof '16; the program comedically described it as "ust a dude swinging things in the dark." The committee Chair Team comprised of Shaquan Perkins '13, ShuMay Williams '13, Julie Yu '13, Jennifer Kim '14, and Bridgette Tran '14. The emcee hosts were D'Andre Young '15 and Naya Stevens '15. Debuting tonight were The Namias (Korean for "Guys") featuring Will Cheon '15, James Lee '13, and Clarence Lee '15 on guitar, as well as KSA's a cappella group, "Rhythm Blues & Seoul." Also, BAASA presented Project BAASA, an upbeat dance whose goal was to " disprove stereotypes, especially the image of a quiet student" and show that "Asian Americans can be talented and confident." The performing groups featured were the Southeast Asia Club Tinkling Group, So Unique, ¡Ahora!, TSA, Manginah, KSA BAASA, Brandeis Bhangra, WOCA, Adagio, Kaos Kids.
2014: Fireworks
19 different multicultural acts graced the stage for this year's Culture X. The show's introductory video was modeled after a dramatic reality competition show. SEAC, Hooked on Tap, Rebelle, KSA, Salseros, KAOS Kids, BASO, Café Diem, Adagio, So Unique, Brandeis Bhangra, Brandeis Cheerleading Squad, WOCA, Manginah, Ballroom, and more were featured at this year's Culture X 2014. Stop Motion, a break-dancing hip-hop group created in February, debuted by performing "Channel Surfing." They danced to a medley of songs from Germany, the Balkans, South Korea, and the United States. KAOS Kids performed "The Legend of Kaos," which reinterpreted Avatar: The Last Airbender. Read more about Culture X 2014 in the Justice's article, "Culture X creates unity within diversity."
2015: Together We Stand Hand in Hand
Performing groups includes Brandeis Bellydance, KAOS Kids, Chak De!, Rebelle, Platinum Step Team, N’SEAC, WOCA, Una Simul Stare, Stop Motion, Ballet Club, Brandeis Bhangra, Abyssinia, Manginah, Ballroom Formation Team, Carribean Queens, and Laasya (Bharatanatyam Ensemble). Reflecting on her memories of Culture X, Sophia Baez, one of the co-chairs, said, "I have so many amazing memories from Culture X. Just meeting with the chairs every week and having all the amazing food and see all the amazing performances. It was just such a beautiful connection all the different people that are at the Brandeis community." Check out the official trailer for Culture X 2015! Watch the full performance
2016: “Arise”
The committee was Estela Lozano, Marlha Lagadere, Zhuo Joy Zhang, and Yeng Her. Manginah, KSA, Brandeis Bhangra, BNAT (traditional Indian dance performance), Stop Motion, Brandeis Traditional Music Club, Adagio, Hooked on Tap, Ballroom Dance Team, Los Extranjeros de la Frontera Swing Dance Troupe, Toxic (marching band majorette performance), and Rebelle. Reflecting on their experience, Yeng Her said, "One of the reasons why I love Culture X is the educational component. Personally, I was able to really expand and learn so much more about the different art forms. Two of my favorite memories from Culture X were 1., filming the promo video - that was fun and hysterical (Loved it); 2., being able to go and see the practice and auditions of each group and then being able to see the passion and dedication they put into their art. It helped me and inspired me to really put in that fire and passion in my own work as well, hence why Culture X is so important to the Brandeis community and culture - based on its history. But most important to me, when I was an undergrad, Brandeis didn't have a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Department. So, the ICC and Culture X embody the DEI work. "Watch the official trailer here!
2017: “25K Magic”
Celebrating the ICC's 25th anniversary, Culture X was the grand finale to the ICC's two-day event. ICC Director Madeleine López explained, "Culture X was also started by a diverse group of students, and they wanted it just to be a fun way that different cultures came together. It's student started, student organized and student driven."
2018: “One Love: Between the Crossroads”
Every year, Culture X is a place for students to welcome, celebrate, and showcase the rich, cultural diversity on the Brandeis campus. This year's committee was chaired by Winnie Zhao '20, Kwesi Jones '21 (also emcee), Janis Li '21, Cassidy Van Cooten '20, Anwesha Ghosh '18, and Siyu Liang '18. Regarding the theme, "One Love: Between the Crossroads," they wrote, "We have heard this word passed around by many, and it's finally time we show what this word means to us. While we know how healing and secure love can feel, there is also an element of freedom in it. This part is satisfied with the latter half of the title "Between the Crossroads." Everyone has their particular journey, and the love falls between a place where everyone's roads meet. Hopefully with this year's theme, we can achieve the humanity that love inspires combined with the individuality we should all come to admire." Stop Motion, Afro-Diamonds (a Waltham-based company of young dancers), Brandeis Bhangra, KAOS Kids, Rebelle, Chak De!, XL, Ballet Company, Platinum Step, Bethlehem & Jerome B., Poetic Justice (Brandeis poetry slam team), Toxic, Classical Indian Ensemble, Brandeis Ballroom, Eli Kengmana '19 (guitar), and Nan performed at Culture X 2018. Kwesi Jones said,' "Students from all over came together to create this amazing, beautiful event using all of their different talents, skills, and abilities in the arts. They started a strong tradition that continue for more than 20 years and will continue much, much farther into the future. Even though the past two years has been halted by the coronavirus pandemic, the show cannot be promoted in a way that has been without the Culture X chair team, which is the small, talented, and dedicated group of students who gave up their time, energy, talents, and skills every year to put on the greatest, biggest show that they possibly can. I myself was on Culture X team until 2018. Our show was one love between the crossroads, and that was an amazing experience that we always share." Check out the introductory video!
2019: “From Roots to Leaves: Grounded in Our Histories”
Celebrating the 20th anniversary of Culture X's first-ever performance, this year's theme was "From roots to leaves: grounded in our history." Connie Cai '22, Gabi Rivero '20, Imani Islam 20, Maurice Windley '19, and Brianna Brown '19 chaired the event. Maurice Windley was interviewed by the Justice about his role in chairing Culture X. They welcomed Jamele Adams, Dean of Students, to the stage for a spoken word performance. He also introduced Cary Weir Lyle '98, who spoke about the origins of Culture X. The performing groups included Fafali (Ghanaian-style percussion ensemble), Afro Diamonds, Brandeis Ballet Company, XL (Pop-dance group), Eli Kengmana '19, Chak De!, Zhen Quan '22 (solo dance), Imani Islam (ode to the ICC), KAOS Kids, Toxic Majorette, Connie Cai 22 (classical violin), Platinum Step Team, musical band composed of the members of JSA and TSA (performed "Lemon" by Yonezu Kenshi), WKD Dance (hip-hop group), Rebelle (Afro-Caribbean dance team). An explosive grand finale ended the night as all the performance danced to Beyoncé's "End of Time." Read more about the event!
2020: “Envision” Canceled due to COVID-19
Sadly, Culture X was canceled in 2020 due to the global spread of Covid-19
2021: [Covid-19]
Due to the global pandemic, Culture X did not happen this year.
2022: “United By the Tides”
2022 Culture X was chaired by Maria Aranibar ‘22, Madison Cheung '22, Denezia Fahie '22, Emily Na '22, Dimby Raveloson '24, Catherine Romero ‘22, and Jessica Tai '22. In the Culture X Program, the committee explained the theme; "Through a variety of diverse performances and cultures, we hope to convey the idea of unity amongst different communities as we've weathered the waves of a global pandemic. We also want to reflect the movement of peoples and families across lands and oceans that is an essential aspect of the immigrant story." Culture X featured KAOS Kids, Platinum, Brandeis Ballet Company, Joy Chang & Tianyi Gao, Chak De, Jolecia Saunderson, Zhen Quan, Rebelle, Maya Ghosh Lisbin, Bharatanatyam Ensemble, Gisel Urena & Emma Gold, Aerionna Stephenson, Ofri Levinson & Yuval Gur, Try Me, Charlie's Angels, Gargi Nandy & Nandini Mandaloju, Milena Ferreira, and XL Girls.
2023: “Light Up the Sky”
Culture X 2023's theme was "Light Up the Sky which was inspired by the idea of how, with time, we tend to see changes not only in ourselves but also in the world around us. Under one sky, we work together to reign in the light of a new day. The chair team consisted of Dimby Raveloson '24, Kasen Branch '24, Norah Khadraoui '24, Sofia Lee '24, and Naim Kim '26. This year's performers were Africano Waltham, KAOS Kids, Sofia Lee (singing), Bloom, Indian Classical Dance, Kan Girsang & Averill Yang (singing duo), Platinum, Sophia Yue Wang, Olas de Surya (band of POC musicians), Angela Zhang (solo dance), Hannah & Aditi (singing duo), Gargi & Malavika (dance), Blah, Milena Ferreria (singing), Rebelle, XL Girls, and Chak De. See this year's program!