With a lot of enthusiasm and determination Carmel Convent School, sec- 9, Chandigarh is ready to rock this November. The annual day is fast approaching and so the practices are on full gear to burn the dance floor. CCS annual day’11 will enlighten the audience with India’s rich culture. Dance forms from all states have been chosen by different classes.
Class X is working very hard to make its performance the most memorable one. They are performing Bharatnatyam and hip-hop. To make the flavor more different they are adding a fusion of Indian classical and western dance form to their show.
Class x is the only independent class which has not been under any supervision of a professional trainer. The student themselves have choreographed the entire dance. Ennayat Kapoor, a student who worked in the choreography “We all go crazy having fun during the practices. Discussing about costumes, make-ups and practices makes the final day more exciting for us.”
Teachers are very concerned about the show and are slogging hard to make their dance a big hit. The practices starts from 8:30 till the school gets over. According to Gauri, a student “Though we get tired practicing the entire day but after all no pain no gain and also on the other hand we enjoy to our fullest.”
All preparation for the annual day has been done and students are very excited and are eagerly waiting for the big day. Class x is also ready to sizzle on the final day. The big day for the Carmelites finally arrived on the 27th of this month. The annual day was celebrated with great enthusiasm and was a big hit. All the students of different classes depicted various cultures of India with class nine depicting the Rang Utsav which is mainly related to Gujarat and Rajasthan. The whole dance was performed by four different groups of students and was choreographed by Mr. Rahul Gupta one of the most talented dancers and choreographers of Chandigarh. The dance began with Dandiya a famous dance form usually performed in Gujarat during Navratri’s on the song ‘dhim tana ‘by A R Rahman. Then came the second group which performed a very cheerful dance namely Holiya from Rajasthan. The dance depicted the happiness of the people on the festival of holy, India’s most colorful festival. The third group unfolded the banjaras or the sepera’s dance famous as kalbelia that exhibits a very joyful moment for the people of Rajasthan. Next was the final performance by the fourth group which was a fusion of all the four dances on the song ‘dhol baje’.
“The whole performance by the students of 9 was indeed a very refreshing, colorful and energetic one” said vaishali a student of class 9. While prerna a student of 10th added “I enjoyed watching the whole dance. The girls have done a very good job.” Lovey ma’am the class teacher of 9thc said “our dance was a very refreshing one and I hope that the parents had enjoyed it.”
All’s well that ends well and that is something we can quote when it comes to Carmel Convent Chandigarh.
As the annual day is coming nearer a wave of zeal and enthusiasm is spreading all over Carmel .Along with the long hour tiring practices props are another topic of discussion for the students. Class eighth students are using Kavdi and Gadvi as to represent the Tamil culture .The kavdi being used by the boys adds colors to the performanceand on the other hand the gadvis on the heads,add the real Southern feeling in the dance .Hanima a girl from class eighth said”Its fun dancing with the gadvi on my head ,inspite of the fact that I find it a slight tough to carry it on my head .”
While on the other hand class ninth is using as many as three props in their medley of three different Rajasthani folk dance .The sound created by the dandiya forms a wonderful rhythmic environment .The matka’s used by the kelbaliya girls forms another prt of entertainment ,girls find it quite tough balancing on the matkas in their long skirts ,but howsoever it is fun standing on them including the fact that it forms a prominent part of the performance. a student Aashita Singh from class ninth said” I find it fun dancing with a sword in my mouth as it gives a royal Rajput touch.”
To give the traditional Punjabi folk dance a real touch class eleventh is using sap and sutti as their props .The suttis are quite big and tough to handle, but they add beauty to the dance. The saps are easy to handle and form an important part of fun .Tarasha a student from class eleventh said “The first day we used them we got cramps but now we are used to them and they have become a source of fun for us”‘.The props are prominent parts of th performanc es and have added sparkels to the performances
The spellbinding fusion of the Indian and western culture portrayed by class X, left an indelible mark on the hearts of the audience. The performance titled ‘Cosmic Urja’ began with a formation depicting Lord Ganesha which marked the beginning of a mesmerizing Indian dance performance including beautiful formations symbolizing energy in different forms. This was followed by the energetic steps of the western performers on the peppy beats which managed to completely rock the audience. According to their teacher, Nilofer Maam, the adaptability and versatility of Carmelites bowled me over. It was amazing to see how smoothly they switch from Indian to western with perfect ease.” Then, there was a fusion of the two performances which awestruck the spectators. According to Aakanksha Gupta, a student of class X, our dance is the perfect blend of the Indian and western culture which captured the entire cosmic urja.” The dance ended with a formation of sun which is at the centre of our being. According to their teacher, Ritu Yadav Maam, “this item was the only one in which no professional help was sort, it was an effort of the students and teachers alone.”
This performance undoubtedly made the mega event unforgettable.Class 8 has put up a spectacular performance representing the very famous and enthusiastic dance coming from the heart of South India, Tamil Nadu. Donning colorful costumes the students depict both girls and boys. With girls having kargas and boys having kaverdis they danced gracefully and with full enthusiasm. Next in line, is the peacock formation which was indeed breathtaking. The students depicting boys formed the feathers of the peacock while the girls formed the front of the peacock. Gracy Bindra a student of class VIII said, “We guys had a lot of fun rehearsing for the dance as it gave us an opportunity to spend time with our friends and chill out. Moreover, we learnt a new dance form also!” Varnika Gulati a student says, “It was fun making our own props, decorating them and giving them a personal touch.”
Poonam Kaur, the teacher in charge quotes, “The dance is indeed mesmerizing and the hard work all of us put in the last few months has made this performance a huge success.” The dance was enjoyable for the students as well as the audience. It undoubtedly made the annual day a memorable event!!