There is a confidence in the eyes of Aaron Cabrera Chacon ’25 as the performance begins, the bold assurance of a skilled dancer living in the moment. As he takes the arm of his partner, his wife Jessica Cabrera Chacon '22, and both are bathed in the glow of a red spotlight, the pair dance the bachata, a conversation in motion marked by precision — and passion.
There is also a joy in every one of Cabrera Chacon’s movements. He has always loved to dance but tonight’s production has a deeper meaning for him. Tonight is a night where he can share something of himself — of his culture and his identity — with his friends, and with the entire Bryant University community.
As an audience of students, faculty, and administrators look on, Cabrera Chacon gives them a show to remember.
Moments like that, he later reflects, are what make i2i so special.
A melting pot and a celebration
i2i, an annual cultural music and dance show produced by Bryant’s International Student Organization (ISO), is one of the university’s beloved traditions. Over the decades, it has united generations of students.
“One of the best parts is seeing the audience’s faces during the show,” shares Nevaeh King ’26, who co-directed this year’s production with Paulina Herrera ’26. “Especially when they’re seeing it for the first time.”
“And then after the show’s over, they think, ‘I want to be part of it next year,'” Herrera adds. “That’s what we’re always hoping for."
More than 50 students took part in this year’s show — even the students at Bryant’s Zhuhai campus, located in China’s Guangdong Province, contributed a scene — but that doesn’t count all of the support i2i has received from other ISO students and from members of the Bryant community across campus and beyond, says Herrera. “It’s a community effort,” she notes.
And each member of the community brings something different to the mix. i2i is an opportunity to be creative and bring their vision to life. Every aspect of the show, from the songs to the dances to the interstitial videos played to highlight aspects of different cultures, are chosen by the participants. “It’s really incredible to see an entire production like i2i put together just by students,” says Herrera.
The theme for i2i 2024 was “A Tour of New York” and the production saw hosts Andrea Cortez ’26 and Janell Gamboa ’25 — who also sang and gave a Bacardi dance performance alongside her sisters — lead the audience through the city’s five boroughs, stopping along the way for scenes representing the United States, Europe, South Korea, China, India, Latin America, and the Caribbean.
“You can see how much joy everyone has up there, and how much they care about this, as they share each other’s cultures. That’s what i2i is all about.”
“New York is a melting pot,” notes King, it’s a city where more than 200 languages are spoken, 37 percent of residents were born outside of the United States, and as many as 49 percent speak a language other than English at home.
“Its a place where people bring together traditions from all over the world,” says Hererra.
That’s the goal for Bryant’s i2i — and the ISO — as well, the directors note. By providing opportunities to learn about each other, King says, it helps to spark and strengthen important and lasting friendships between participants. she states. “It's an opportunity to bring everyone together to get comfortable and get familiar with others people and start conversations.”
It's also a chance to share your culture with the broader Bryant community.
“You can say, this is a song from Kingstown, Jamaica, where I grew up, and it’s a part of who I am,” King says.
“I love i2i!” exclaims Jessica Cabrera Cachon, who directed the show in 2021 and returned to campus to be part of this year’s production. “It’s about building a cultural competence and understanding that you can use both personal and professionally,” she says.
i2i is for everyone
i2i helps students to develop an international perspective, suggests Bryant Associate Professor of Spanish and Language Studies Program Coordinator Tony Houston, Ph.D., who sang an aria from Handel’s “Rinaldo” in this year’s show. “It’s a skill that will serve them in their careers, but, more than that, it's going to help them open their hearts to others.”
Cabrera Chacon and was the co-lead lead for this year’s Latin America scene. He loves to dance, he says, and being able to share his own culture, and bring a piece of who he is into the performance, made it all the more incredible.
While Cabrera Chacon is an accomplished dancer, i2i is open to everyone, no matter their skill level or experience, he states, as long as they’re willing to put in the work and want to be part of the supportive community. One of the great joys of the show, he notes, is that the students are also picking up new things from one another, whether it be bits of culture or a new taste in music.
“We all learn from each other,” he confirms.
That alchemic mix of community, enthusiasm, and discovery, is infectious, notes Olivia Dang ’27, who attended the show with a group of cheering friends — and being part of that supportive scene makes the show all their more special.
“You can see how much joy everyone has up there, and how much they care about this, as they share each other’s cultures,” adds Griffen Meacham ’27. “That’s what i2i is all about.”
Here are a few scenes from this year’s i2i:
