Building a Tradition of Belonging: The Role of Expressive Arts in Campus Celebrations

Social practice artist Karen Young remembers holding a bachi and striking a taiko drum for the very first time as a joyous moment of celebration—one that caused her life to shift from black and white to full color. “I fell in love with the art form right away,” said Young, a fifth- generation Chinese- and third-generation Japanese-American, whose February 2023 visit to celebrate the Lunar New Year season at William James College marked a return to the long-standing tradition of in-person campus celebrations following a three-year, pandemic-induced hiatus.

“The arts—whether visual, dance or music—are integral aspects of celebrating cultural practices and traditions from across the globe,” said Dr. Gemima St. Louis, Vice President for Workforce Initiatives who, along with her colleagues in the Center for Multicultural and Global Mental Health, has been at the helm of organizing several cultural events that happen on campus each year.

“These are unique moments and opportunities to bring the community together,” said St. Louis in a nod to students, faculty, and staff as well as the numerous communities the College serves, as a means of “nourishing the mind, the body, and the soul” via experiences—to mark inductions, commencements and myriad milestones in between—aimed at fully immersing the audience in the culture being celebrated.

Young’s interest in taiko (the Japanese word for drum) extends far beyond making music. Last winter, her campus visit served as a symbolic closing out of the chaos associated with The Year of the Tiger and, in fitting fashion, ushered in The Year of the Rabbit, a period of rest, peace, and enjoyment of the arts. As a young person, seeing folks that looked like her on stage—getting hot and sweaty while shouting and beating traditional instruments—stood in stark contrast to stories of her grandfather who, while living on the West Coast during World War II, was forced to hide his family’s cultural heritage to avoid being sent to Japanese internment camps in the wake of Pearl Harbor. Her ancestors’ lived experience left an indelible mark on Young, causing her to embrace the 2,000-year-old tradition of taiko (one that came to North America with Japanese immigrants in the mid-20th century) as a means of both celebrating what makes her unique while bridging gaps.

“What makes the arts such a critical component of what we do, especially as behavioral health providers, is that they expose our community to different cultural traditions; allow audiences to witness the goodness and beauty that exist in historically underserved communities, which are often not celebrated; and promote community connection and engagement,” said St. Louis of an ongoing intention aimed at fostering well-being across campus.

The psychological and physiological benefits of the arts are well-documented. A March 2022 article published in Frontiers in Psychology spoke to the social impact of the arts on communities like William James from increasing exposure and elevating the human experience to reducing stigma—all of which cultivate understanding and, by extension, empathy. Several studies therein posit that collectively, the arts serve as “social glue that brings together families, generations and wider communities,” as evidenced by Young’s approach to taiko, one that inspires marginalized populations to reclaim voice, culture, power, and a sense of belonging. At its core, it’s an ethos she shares with acclaimed dancer Neena Gulati who, in June 2019, brought her Triveni School of Dance to campus as part of the College’s Annual Cultural Diversity Celebration.

“Our traditional dance is special because it allows children from Indian families, who are born and raised [in the United States], to keep up with their culture,” said Gulati who began dancing when she was four years old and made her arangetram (or public debut) at New Delhi’s Fine Arts Theatre in 1961. Today, she’s touted as an excellent example of the guru-shishya tradition of teaching that’s preserved the purity of Indian classical dance—an ancient practice that dates back to circa 200 B.C.E.—not only for her students and their parents but also audiences across New England.

“We are bringing such an ancient art form alive,” said Gulati of Bharatnatyam dance, the world’s oldest classical form, upon which her non-profit organization dedicated to education and performance of classical Indian dance hinges. More than six decades after gaining first-hand knowledge from her own teachers, Gulati continues the tradition of handing her knowledge to the next generation while citing its mutually beneficial effects.

“It’s truly a wonderful thing, to share the excitement I feel [about my culture] with a western audience,” said Gulati of a personal passion that’s expanded to reach the community-at-large—including both Indian and American dancers. Unlike ballet or jazz, Indian classical dance extends to depths beyond movement and rhythm. “[On stage], we can tell a simple story for the little kids or a very elaborate theme from Hindu mythology,” she said of the beautiful art form, one she will continue to spread so long as she is able.

At William James, a single (albeit rhetorical) question guides the way when planning celebrations throughout the year: “What can we do to bring more culturally diverse events here—that incorporate music, dance, movement and other art forms—while inviting our audiences to experience the richness and magnificence of these cultural traditions?” said St. Louis, pointing to a great, if not at times overlooked, equalizer. “We all have a way of celebrating the beauty that exists in our culture, no matter where we are from,” she said, underscoring a comforting constant in the midst of diverse backgrounds in any given community.

For Young, a self-described community builder keen on making visible important aspects of those traditions and cultures that make communities like William James stronger, the answer lies in allowing as many folks as possible to shine.

“The more we can be fully present and ourselves, without having to hide or be ashamed of pieces of our lives, the more space we create for others,” said Young, who enjoys creating opportunities for audiences to engage in conversation and dialogue. “[Attending cultural performances] is a great opportunity to ask a lot of questions and invite those who are being celebrated to talk honestly and openly about what it's like to be where they really are,” she said—which, in turn, leaves the rest of us to think about how we can create more space.

“I was very excited [to visit William James] because [my performance] was linked to mental health,” said Young, pointing to the value of looking beyond what’s happening on stage to witness the decisions a performer makes in order to pursue and develop their art form.

“I play taiko for everyone who's ever had to hide something,” said Young who—with every beat of her drum—inspires others to announce to the world, I’m here."

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