Wearing traditional red Chinese outfits and holding silk fans, four UF students performed a customary fan dance set to modern music as a celebration of their culture.
The dance was one of the performances at the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival held by the Chinese American Student Association in the Rion Ballroom on Sunday evening.
About 300 students and family members came to the free event to see cultural performances, dances, skits and other performances about the legends and history of the festival.
More than 50 performers who are part of the Chinese American Student Association or other sub-organizations, such as Pi Delta Psi Fraternity, were involved in the festival.
The Mid-Autumn Moon Festival is the second largest traditional event in East Asia, said Phillip Cheng, a special events coordinator for the organization.
"The story of the festival is about family reunions," said Boyang Sun, a special events coordinator for the organization. "This is a way for members of the community to celebrate the holiday together."
Since many students can't go home to celebrate the holiday with their families, this event brings the sense of family back to UF, said Vincent Kong, president of the organization.
Cheng said this is the group's way of giving back to the community through its performances and different interpretations of the event.
It is a way to emphasize the culture and Chinese groups around campus, said Mindy Feldman, a dancer in the modern dance troupe performance.
"We try to show how culture can be interesting and fun, as well as educational," Feldman said.
