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CAISA puts on great show in poor venue

A little taste of New York hit London on Saturday — a little NYC and a whole lot of skin.

Flashing lights, hip-hop, models, tango and oozing sex appeal were combined to create the 12th annual Canadian Asian International Students’ Association’s charity fashion show on Saturday night.

The theme was “Iconic” and the show, sponsored by Masonville Place, transformed Western students into glamorous models and some clumsy individuals into smooth dancers.

Scenes included casual wear, lingerie, formal and business attire. Another scene had female models lined up in towels that were scandalously ripped off by male models to reveal sexy swimwear, and throughout the show the men were dropping their shirts like it was heatwave.

The choreography and professionalism of the show were impressive, especially considering it was organized and performed by student volunteers. Sub-themes included “Times Square” and “Wall Street” — a witty number complete with briefcases and pantsuits.

Highlights included performances by Western student Melanie Mah — who was a top-six finalist on So You Think You Can Dance Canada — as well as student musicians and Hip-Hop Western.

The crazy flips, dives and martial arts stylings of Team 2X also proved to be a crowd favourite.

Unfortunately, the venue choice of the London Convention Center was disappointing. With seats lined up behind one another and zero elevation, visibility was a big issue for much of the audience.

The CAISA organizers decided to change locations this year for a “better,” more “professional” venue — fortunately there were classy high ceilings and nice walls for people to look at, since hundreds of people couldn’t fully see the stage.

Many missed seeing intricate choreography on floor level, and Mah’s performance was best seen on a screen, which made it feel like you were watching So You Think You Can Dance Canada on TV all over again, only this time in poorer quality.

The feedback from the crowd after the show was positive due to the high quality and entertaining performances, choreography and modelling. However, the crowd was not very responsive during the show, most likely because it was so difficult to fully see what was happening.

Overall the fashion show was enjoyable and the talent and choreography were fantastic. In the future, for those paying $25 for a ticket with “good seats” 10 rows back, it would be nice if they could see the entire show rather than only the upper bodies of the tallest people on stage.

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