Artist Week Report Day-5

‘Dancing is surely the most basic and relevant of all forms of expression”. -Lyall

If viewed through the right lens, Performing Arts takes us to a new world that carries immense potential to enhance a human being. Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time. Art has the power to transform, illuminate, educate, inspire and motivate. Seth Anandram Jaipuria School, Lucknow is a firm believer that education and child development can’t open their wings fully if they are confined to books and academics. The school had organized a five-day event, ‘Artist Week 2021- Poetry in Motion’, wherein each day, an accomplished guest in the field of dance, was invited to enlighten the students and staff members with not just the essentials of the various dance forms, but also how they beautify the existence of a human being. It was a power-packed period and has left everyone thinking differently about the significance of art in our lives. The final day, 11th June 2021 began with an enchanting prayer dance presented by Jhanvi Gupta of class VII. Jhanvi was dressed as Goddess Durga and her dance was extremely effortless. The Chief Guest of the day was Ms. B.H. Nuwanthi, who joined from Sri Lanka. She is an expert in the Kandyan folk dance of Sri Lanka. She is a trained Bharatnatyam dancer and has won many laurels too. She also has expertise in Sabaragamuwa dances. She works at National Youth Service Council, Colombo. Her alluring dance video left everyone awestruck. Children were thrilled and expressed a desire to learn a few dance forms from the guest, who was kind and patient enough to not only explain the details of the dance form but also demonstrate and train the students, online. Children were deeply connected with their teacher on board and not even thousands of miles could dare to hurdle their passion for learning. The guest made the students aware of Kandian Dance by drawing a comparison between the Indian Bharatnatyam and that of Sri Lanka. She acquainted the students with the most important dance forms of Srilanka that are: Kandyan dance of the Hill Country, known as Uda Rata Natum, the low country dances of the southern part of Sri Lanka, known as Pahatha Rata Natum and Sabaragamuwa dances, or Sabaragamuwa Natum and told the difference. She also told the students that these dances were only performed by men in early times but now women have also started performing these dances. She also explained the significance of ‘Pantheru’, the regal headgear worn by men while dancing. Later, she shared that it was only her passion for the art, that led her this far in the field and that she has no family history of dance. This amazed the children and filled them with new hopes and inspiration to follow their passion in life. The event wouldn’t have met a better culmination without the Principal’s words of wisdom. It was a pleasure to listen to her talk about her interests in performing arts. Principal, Ms. Poonam Kochitty asked Ms. Nuwanthi, a few more questions about the festivals that are celebrated in Srilanka, costumes, etc., and encouraged the students to pursue dance and be consistent to arrive at their desired goal. She also talked about the main festival of Sri Lanka and generously thanked the chief guest to have joined the school in this initiative.