Heritage Fair 2025 Story Map

Heritage fair 2025

I hope I can embody my parents' skills and do it too.

Wynn Willkom

Filipino Club

Tracing cultural journeys

For decades, Heritage Fair has been a celebration for traversing new traditions and showcasing the diversity of Carlmont's community. The event brings students together on a journey around the world, from Chinese Culture Club's fan dancing and Wushu martial arts to Latinos Unidos' singing and Folklórico dancing, and Filipino Club's Tinikling dancing.

It's one of the most exciting and special times of the year for not only our club but all the other clubs that get to share the beauty of their traditions and culture.

When I'm doing anything that is based on my culture, I feel more connected.

Kimberly Garcia Cancio

Keyu Peng

Latinos Unidos

Chinese Cultural Club

Filipino Club

Tinikling dancing

Every year, Filipino Club performs the Tinikling, a traditional Filipino folk dance involving jumping in and out of two long bamboo poles that are clapped together. It is meant to mimic the movements of the tikling bird as it dodges bamboo traps. “It's one of the oldest traditions that we have in the Philippines. It's very traditional, and it's been around for hundreds of years now,” said sophomore Wynn Willkom, who played the bamboo sticks. Though he moved away from the Philippines at a young age, Filipino Club provided a welcoming space for Willkom to reconnect with his heritage and the dance.

I haven't been to the Philippines in such a long time, and this dance really embodies myself and the part of me that is my culture and everyone who shares it.

Wynn Willkom

The second was a Wushu (Chinese martial arts) fight between senior Aaron Chun, co-president of the club, and sophomore Kenneth Choothakan. According to Chun, this is “traditional Kung Fu with a bit more entertainment to it.” Their weapons are also modeled on the spears and swords of ancient Chinese warlords. “My father teaches Kung Fu. He started when he was around 16, and he's been teaching for around 40 years, so it was kind of inevitable that I started learning as well. After I learned his system, I went to two monks who taught me everything, and then I started competing at international competitions,” Chun said. The last two solos included a Tai Chi dance done by junior Michelle Ahl and senior Claire Lee singing “Just Want To Secretly Hide You” from the Chinese drama “Hidden Love.”

I'm just really proud of the club and what it’s grown to, and really love Heritage Fair and how it emphasizes culture and togetherness.

Aaron Chun

Chinese Cultural Club

Fan dancing, Wushu, and Tai Chi dancing

Chinese Cultural Club’s performance consisted of 4 acts. The first was a partner fan dance presented by sophomores Keyu Peng, co-president of the club, and Meichen Wang. Focusing on elegance and grace, the two performed 和韵 (Rhythm of Harmony) to “景明” by 关大洲. "My grandma used to be a dancer, so she has always pushed me to do dancing as well," Peng said. "When I was younger, I tried basically every possible dance genre on the market, until I fell in love with Chinese cultural dance. It is my tradition and I’ve self-taught myself a lot of things from looking at videos."

When I'm performing, I feel that I am presenting my culture and its aspects that people don’t usually see.

Keyu Peng

Korean Pop Culture Club

Korean pop (K-pop) dancing

Korean Pop Culture Club performed K-pop dances to a selection of popular K-songs, carefully following the official choreography to “XO (Only If You Say Yes)” by Enhypen, “Midas Touch” by Kiss of Life, “Meow” by Meovv, “Forty-One Winks” by Tomorrow X Together, and “ETA” by New Jeans. “Even though I’m not Korean, I’ve been really interested in Korean culture. The music has made me happier and introduced me to a lot of friends,” said junior Jasmine Gee, club president. Having performed these dances for several years, the Heritage Fair performance has become a beloved tradition. It is highly anticipated, according to Gee, with members beginning to learn the moves early in the year to ensure a polished performance.

We hope that, this year, the performance exposes people to other sides of K-pop that they don't know yet.

Jasmine Gee

Latinos Unidos

Singing and Folklórico dancing

Latinos Unidos performed the beloved Mexican folk song "Cielito Lindo," bringing it to life with both singing and Folklórico dancing. According to senior Kimberly Garcia Cancio, club president, Folklórico is “a traditional dance that embodies the joy and beauty of the art in our culture.” “I've known this song since a very young age. When I was younger, my grandmother, who lived in Mexico, would always sing it to me over the phone, before her passing,” Garcia Cancio said. “More generally, it's a song that has been sung by many generations and represents a true and strong sense of pride.”

Our performance is so much more than just the song and the dance, it's a form of storytelling and a way to honor the traditions that shape us.

Kimberly Garcia Cancio

Jazz Ensemble

Band playing and improvisation

For their performance, Jazz Ensemble played “What is Hip,” recorded by Tower of Power and arranged by Mike Tomaro. As one of Carlmont’s five instrumental music groups, performances are a regular and expected part of their schedule. “If you would have told me five years ago that this is what I'd be doing, I would have told you you were insane. It's been one of the most influential things I’ve done,” said senior Nicholas Oey, who primarily plays upright bass in the band. “I've met so many people through it and had so many opportunities that I couldn't have expected. Getting to know this music has been something that I'll be very grateful for throughout my life.”

It’s fun to be able to play that kind of music for the whole school because it’s not an environment or audience we usually get. Heritage Fair gives us a much wider audience of teachers and friends who are all so excited to hear us play.

Nicholas Oey

Drumline

Marching and drumming

A trademark of all Carlmont assemblies, Drumline played two songs, complete with their much-anticipated choreography and on-theme costumes. For their walk-on, they drummed to "Shift," before delivering their main performance to "Don't Do It." "My brother was a very big part of Drumline, and my sister as well, so I really wanted to see what it was all about. I really liked the idea of playing with other people in time," said freshman Emilio Camacho Fuentes, a member of the group.

It's pretty important to us since it's one of the big performances we get, and it really has become a staple for us. I'm pretty excited. It's my first heritage fair, so I can't wait to see what it's all about.

Emilio Camacho Fuentes

Islanders Club

Hula dancing

New to Heritage Fair and Carlmont this year, Islanders Club made a vibrant debut with a hula dance performance. According to junior Leiana Moala, co-president of the club, they chose to dance to “a love song for someone special.” While the club has existed before, it had been inactive for several years until Moala and a few others decided to revive it, making Islander Club truly their own. “I wasn't really exposed to my culture so much growing up, but I’ve always felt a connection. So, when we wanted to bring the club back, I was 100% on board because I would get to know more about my heritage and myself. I felt like I was choosing my roots and finding another part of who I am,” Moala said.

When I first started at Carlmont and first saw Heritage Fair, I loved seeing all the different cultures come together and show off their traditions. Every year, I always looked forward to and felt a sense that I wanted to do it. And, this year, we got the chance to do it.

Leiane Moala

Drum Circle Club

Improvisation on the drums

Drum Circle Club's performance was a carefully planned set of drum improvisations. Founded by senior Benjamin Carlson, the new club was created to give everyone the opportunity to participate in and contribute to making music, no matter their skill level. “I didn't get into Jazz Band, but I really wanted to keep doing music, and, since the music program wasn't really for me, I thought I could make my own thing and teach others who don't want to do the band program either how to learn an instrument,” Carlson said.

It was really a struggle last year, but we're really back this year, and I’m glad we made it so far. Heritage Fair is probably the peak of Drum Circle Club.

Benjamin Carlson

Indian Club

Garba and Bollywood dancing

Showcasing both the traditional and the modern, Indian Club’s performance was a mix of two different Indian dance styles: Garba and Bollywood. Garba is a circle dance originating in the state of Gujarat, India, while Bollywood is a style of dance traditionally seen in many Indian films. “I grew up doing Indian dance, so, when I came to high school, it was definitely something I wanted to continue doing, and Indian club has really given me the opportunity to,” said senior Asha Mehta, club president. Opting for a livelier setlist this year, they performed to “Nagada Sang Dhol” from the movie “Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ramleela” and “Chogada” from the movie “Loveyatri.”

Because it's my senior year, I wanted to have a really fun dance that we do, one that is really upbeat and just shows the energy that comes with Indian dance.

Asha Mehta