By Megan Neff

International acts ranging from a Chinese rock band to contemporary Indian dancing will be showcased tomorrow as a part of UK’s Got Talent.

The event starts at 6 p.m. in the Student Center Food Court and is similar to “American Idol,” said Ifedayo Awe, president of the International Student Council, which is sponsoring the event along with the Division of Student Affairs. Tickets are $5.

But the production should be viewed as more than just a talent show, Awe said.

“The campus needs to find a way to walk in other people’s shoes,” said Awe, a pre-nursing sophomore. “It needs an opportunity to interact with international students because during the whole week, we’re all busy with school.”

Publicity director for ISC Siddhi Shroff plans to perform a contemporary Indian dance with three other girls. They will dance to two songs from a Bollywood production.

Trained in the Krishna School of Dance for six years, Shroff, a psychology junior, said she loves dancing, whether the style is classical Indian or contemporary. However, it was more than her love for dancing that motivated her to perform.

“I wanted people to see the kind of dances that are prevalent in Indian culture today, not only the classical and folk but also the contemporary dance as well,” Shroff said.

UK’s Got Talent kicks off the Cultural Diversity Festival, which runs through the end of March. Events include Taste of Our World, a sampling of international dishes near the end of March, and workshops by campus organizations, like the Muslim Student Association. The events during the festival are aimed at highlighting UK’s international diversity. The first event of the celebration, UK’s Got Talent, shares that goal, Shroff said.

“Not only do events like these show the diversity our campus possesses, they also help bridge the gap between many students who probably weren’t aware of the different talents that UK students have, and the fact that someone else may share the same talent as them,” Shroff said.

“It’s also a means to broaden your social horizon, by getting to meet new and interesting people.”