The Barometer Online

Issue date: 3/2/09 Section: News

Media Credit: Cory Reed Top: Beejan Iranshad, a film student at the Art Institute of Portland, opens the Dance Against Hunger Friday evening in Milam Auditorium. Bottom: Dancers prepare backstage for the event, which was sponsored by OSU FeelGood and the Born To Shine Project.

A packed Milam Auditorium sat in anticipation of OSU's first Dance Against Hunger on Friday.

OSU FeelGood and The Born to Shine Project came together to bring dancers to Corvallis from all over Oregon to support ending world hunger.

The event kicked off at 7 p.m. with an opening performance by Beejan Iranshad, a hip-hop artist from Portland.

Following the first act, another 15 performances took place, ranging in style from salsa to hip-hop. The evening featured both individual and group performances.

Co-founders of OSU's FeelGood, Carson Bee and John Pham, said they couldn't be more thrilled for the turnout at and participation in the Dance Against Hunger. They said that 100 percent of all the profit made from the event will go directly to The Hunger Project.

The Hunger Project is a global non-profit organization committed to the sustainable end of world hunger. The organization works in 13 different countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America, developing strategic effective efforts to end hunger and poverty.

The millennium development goals are the Hunger Project's way of displaying its unified program of ending poverty in writing. Goal number one is to eradicate extreme hunger and poverty.

"It is great to be able to bring together such wonderful talent and passion for dance to benefit a good cause. It is all about doing your own thing to inspire and make an impact," Pham said. Pham is also a hip-hop teacher at Dixon Recreational Center.

OSU was represented at the event through established Oregon State dance teams. Elite Dance Team performed a couple of dances on stage to the music of popular hits like the Ting Tings' "That's Not My Name." Omega Delta Phi fraternity also joined in the awareness effort by breaking it down with stepping moves, which hold a tradition in some fraternities. Along with other local OSU student dance groups, there were numerous Portland dancers.

Continued...

Page 1 of 3 next >

Article Tools