Students go online to showcase their talent

Tribune News Service
Jalandhar, April 29

Students of various city schools and colleges observed the International Dance Day by organising several activities and online classical dance contests in collaboration with the Society for the Promotion of Indian Classical Music and Culture Amongst Youth (SPIC MACAY) on Thursday. The day is a global celebration of dance and was introduced in 1982 by the International Dance Committee of the UNESCO, International Theatre Institution. The Dance Committee of the International Theatre Institute (ITI), main partner for the performing arts of the UNESCO, observes the day every year on April 29, which is the anniversary of the birth of Jean-Georges Noverre (1727–1810), the creator of modern ballet.

Kanya Maha Vidyalaya

Kanya Maha Vidyalaya observed the day in collaboration with the SPIC MACAY, a movement which promotes intangible aspects of Indian cultural heritage by promoting Indian classical music, classical dance, folk music, yoga, meditation, crafts and other aspects of the Indian culture. The celebrations were organised to pay tributes to Pt Rajan Mishra. During the celebrations, a Kathak recital and an interactive session with Padamshree Shovana Narayan, a prolific Kathak dancer was also organised. Dr Sushma Chawla, vice-president, KMV managing committee, was the chief guest during the occasion. Anuradha Sondhi, Dr Sushma Chopra and Maj Gen Balwinder Singh also graced the occasion. Principal Dr Atima Sharma Dwivedi welcomed the guests to the event and in her welcome address, Dr Dwivedi averred that on the International Dance Day, the youth of our country should strive to develop finer aspects of life in order to develop a balance in all spheres of life. A video of Shovana Narayan explaining the intricacies of Kathak was also showcased during the event. During the culmination of the event, a question and answer session was also organised in which many participants asked their queries from Shovana Narayana. Kunda Mahurkar, national chairperson, SPIC MACAY, extended vote of thanks to all guests and participants. Kamakshi and Yukta were the moderators of the event. The Principal lauded the efforts of Dr Poonam Sharma, Head, PG Department of Performing Arts, Dr Pardeep Arora and Dr Madhumeet, Head, PG Department of English, for organising the event.

OBSERVED ON APRIL 29, THE DAY MARKS GLOBAL CELEBRATION OF DANCE

• The International Dance Day is a global celebration of dance and was introduced in 1982 by the International Dance Committee of the UNESCO, International Theatre Institution. The Dance Committee of the International Theatre Institute (ITI), main partner for the performing arts of the UNESCO, observes the day every year on April 29, which is the anniversary of the birth of Jean-Georges Noverre (1727-1810), the creator of modern ballet.
• The day is a true global celebration that breaks down barriers to bring people together. Navjinder Kaur (MA, MPhil in Music and pursuing PhD) who has 10-year experience in theatre and dance said art of dance was one of the earliest and longest standing forms of entertainment and community activity known to human kind. It is one of the ultimate activities to reduce stress, lose inhibitions, meet new people and boost physical health.
• The aim of the events organised to mark the day is to encourage people to take dance more seriously in their day-to-day lives and also to keep them physically fit.

Apeejay College of Fine Arts

Apeejay College of Fine Arts students of the Department of Dance participated in the dance competition organised by Kristu Jayanti College, Bengaluru, to mark the International Dance Day. After qualifying the preliminary round, students presented their performances for the second round. Principal Dr Neerja Dhingra appreciated the efforts of the students as well as their teachers who did not let the pandemic be a hurdle in their learning process. She said teaching and learning classical dance through online platforms has its own kinds of challenges and it was due to their consistent efforts that the students could perform at national level which undoubtedly deserved a word of appreciation. Dr Ranjana Chabbra, HOD, Dance, shared that Asmita Gupta, Aditi, Bhawna Sharma and Mayuri Muskan - students of MA Classical Dance had participated in the competition. Principal Dr Neerja Dhingra appreciated the efforts of the entire department for guiding the students and enabling them to perform at national level.

Innocent Hearts Group

A classical dance competition was organised in the five schools of Innocent Hearts to mark the International Dance Day. The competition was conducted online. Students of Class VII and VIII participated in the competition and gave their performances. Music HOD Kirandeep and Richa Sharma were the judges to the event. The first place was won by Kairabi, Aastha Sachdeva and Garima. The three of them performed the best dance. Second place was won by Sania Arora, Tript and Garima Bhatia. The third place was secured by Divyanshu Sood, Ekam Preet Kaur and Vrinda Gupta. The consolation prize was received by Navya Bansal. On the occasion, the students who won the competition were congratulated by the vice-principal. Cultural head Sharmila Nakra informed them about various forms of dance. Such activities along with online studies keep the children stress-free and play a significant role in their all-round development, said the head.

Phagwara MLU DAV College

Under the guidance of Principal Dr Kiranjeet Randhawa, students of Mohan Lal Uppal DAV College, Phagwara, observed the International Dance Day. A webinar was organised by the Music Department for students and faculty members to mark the day. Navjinder Kaur (MA, MPhil in Music and pursuing PhD) who has 10-year experience in theatre and dance was the resource person and shared fruitful knowledge to the participants. The day promotes art and culture and raises awareness among the public regarding the “art of dance”. It also spreads education about several forms of dance and its value in its art form. Further, she said art of dance was one of the earliest and longest standing forms of entertainment and community activity known to human kind. It is one of the ultimate activities to end stress, lose inhibitions, meet new people and boost physical health. The day is a true global celebration that breaks down barriers to bring people together. She introduced dance forms, history and importance of dance to the audience and ways to make a clear view in career of dance. Teacher and students interacted with her, asked questions and cleared their doubts. Dr Randhawa also encouraged everyone as dance is both an art form and a method of communication in culture around the world and is practiced by millions of people. The aim of the event was to encourage people to take dance more seriously in their day-to-day lives and also to keep them physically fit. She concluded by congratulated everyone for organising such a knowledgeable and interesting event.

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