Diversity celebrated at Cultural Awareness Fair

The event was the product of cooperation between the creativity of base personnel and tenant commands. Coordinating all the efforts in helping make the day's events possible, the MCAC is composed of volunteers from different commands at NAS Jax.

Providing colorful choices for lunch, the base galley served at-tendees an exotic variety of flavors, including chicken curry, pasta, mixed vegetables and traditional barbecue food for the less daring.

Booths included representation for Hispanic, Asian-Pacific, African-American and Italian groups.

''Today's event is an opportunity to bring people of all cultural backgrounds together. I'm grateful for the cooperation between everyone involved to make this event happen,'' said NAS Jax Equal Opportu-nity Advisor HMCS(AW/ FMF) Bryce McNair.

Members of the Polynesian "Pearls of the Pacific" perform a Tahitian dance for the crowd at the Multicultural Awareness Fair Aug. 24. Photo by MC2(AW) Suzi Cornell

The Hispanic culture booth, staffed by Aircraft Intermediate Maintenance Detachment Jax personnel AT2 Nicole West, AT3 Fabien Serrano and AT3 Krystal Smith, had vibrant house wares from native countries, including a large amber wall tapestry woven with cryptic symbology.

One part of the event that caught visitors' attention was the motley assortment of dancers that swept the stage, painting bright scenes of Polynesian and Hispanic culture. Tahitian dancers moved in flamboyant crimson and yellow costumes while the rapid-fire beats of Pacific island pahu drums blared forth.

Onlookers seated in folded chairs seemed mesmerized by their circular hip and precise hand and foot movements. Far back into history, Tahi-tian dances have been in-strumental in seducing a mate, praying or welcoming a visitor. Pre-co-lonial Tahitians even used dance to de-scribe history or genealogies, according to World Arts West's Web site, worldarts west.org.

CTA2 Sheenah Leite, dancing solo, maneuvered gracefully in a Samoan dance. Tending to focus more on hand movement than hip movement, Samoan dance is gentle and intends to tell a story.

Members of the audience took notice of the performing artists' skill, diverse not only in culture, but also in age. YN1 Debbie Herring, stationed at Naval Reserve Readiness Command Southeast, commented on the young Polynesian dancers she watched inside the pavilion, called the ''Pearls of the Pacific.''

Members of Navy Band Southeast's "Pride" rock the house during the fair. Photo by MC2(AW) Suzi Cornell

''When I made a recent trip to Hawaii, I learned that Polynesian children begin dance instruction at a very young age. I think it's great they can preserve their culture in our country,'' Herring said.

Attendees watched the dancers while eating their lunch and cooling down with water donated by the NAS Jax Fire Department on chairs inside the pavilion.

Command participation is the key to making the Multi-Cultural Fair a yearly event. The MCAC provides tents and tables, but depends on the ideas and materials of talented volunteers from each command.

Anyone interested in helping out with next year's event or who would like to join the MCAC can call 542-3304.