Participants from 16 schools put their best foot forward at Takita Dhin, an inter-school choreographed classical dance competition, held on August 3 at the ICCR auditorium. Organised by the Indian Music and Performing Arts department of The Calcutta School of Music, the theme of the programme, in its second edition, was Maitri Mantra.
TT Bureau
Published 27.08.18, 12:00 AM
The BSS School’s performance was a combination of Kathak, Odissi and Bharatanatyam, which got them the third prize. Their dance was about how different communities can unite to form a nation. “We had been practising for a little more than a month. Our intention was to perform, not place, but we did,” said Saheli Sen (second from left) of Class VII.
Participants from 16 schools put their best foot forward at Takita Dhin, an inter-school choreographed classical dance competition, held on August 3 at the ICCR auditorium. Organised by the Indian Music and Performing Arts department of The Calcutta School of Music, the theme of the programme, in its second edition, was Maitri Mantra.
Mahadevi Birla World Academy showcased a dance about Kashmir — its transformation from a peaceful place to one of complete chaos — and placed as first runners-up. “Our dance was a combination of Bharatanatyam and Kathak. All of us were trying our best and we finally got a prize,” said Shrestha Sanyal (right), a Class VI student.
Students of Classes V to IX of some city schools like La Martiniere for Girls, Calcutta International School, Garden High School and Loreto Dharamtala participated in the competition. The judges’ panel included Jaya Seal Ghosh, Suman Sarawgi and Keya Chanda, while Priti Patel was the chief guest.
“Any competition is a medium of learning and such excellent choreographic work was done by the schools. You could see the work and effort they put in,” said Jita Roychowdhury, head of Indian Music and Performing Arts, The Calcutta School of Music.
The students of DPS (Delhi Public School) Howrah were all smiles as they came first in the dance competition. Their performance revolved around mutthi (unity). The performance depicted how someone evil and someone good put aside all their differences to unite and build a friendship. “We had been practising for a month as we had our exams in the middle. We really didn’t expect to come first,” said Pratyusha Pattanayak (second from right), a participant from Class VIII. “The event was a wonderful initiative, especially at a time when such art forms are dying. I love how the children have been taught and are made to do other activities along with their studies,” said danseuse Priti Patel (right).
