St Xavier’s Institution, Panihati
Students and teachers of St Xavier’s Institution (SXI), Panihati, celebrated the birth anniversaries and works of two bards — Rabindranath Tagore and William Shakespeare — through one resplendent show.
The Lit Fest of SXI, Panihati, was the result of hard work and research on the part of the students and teachers of Classes VI to XII. The participants tried to fuse various dance forms and characters from pages of Tagore and Shakespeare and represent a range of emotions through their performances.
The Primary kids began the event with a song-dance performance. As the senior students took over, the show's tone changed from fun to intense. The opening dance recital saw the students performing a collage of several classical dance forms in Anandadhara bohichhe bhubane, to pay homage to Tagore. The choir consisted of over 90 students, all clad in their traditional best.
One of the performances also saw a creative presentation of Sonnet 104 of Shakespeare and some Rabindrasangeet. “Our teachers put their thinking caps on to present known pieces in a different way,” said principal Lipika Ghosh who was the mastermind behind the whole event.
The highlight of the programme was, East Meets West, a more-than-an-hour celebration of the two bards through enactment, dance, emotive performances, soliloquy and dramatisation.
From the storm of The Tempest and The Merchant of Venice to Tasher Desh, Raktakorobi and the dark love as depicted in Shyama and Othello, the performers took the audience on a literary adventure. There was also an attempt to draw parallels between the political situation of Julius Caesar and Ghare Baire with the contemporary world.
Some relevant film and music clips were played in the background.
Most of the audience also turned up in the red and white dress code to add to the event's mood.
“This was our grand celebration of art to honour our favourite bards. I wanted to develop in my students a taste of both Tagore and Shakespeare, and hence, we organised this event. There were research, creative effort and hard work both from the teachers and students. Everybody excelled on the final day, and I am proud of them,” said the principal.
Sri Sri Academy
Making paper boats with messages, learning lessons from nature and fusing art with literature — the students of Sri Sri Academy, Calcutta, did all that and more to celebrate Rabindranath Tagore on his birth anniversary.
The school organised a week-long event — Connecting with Nature — that stressed on the bard's bond with his surroundings.
The tots of Lower Nursery to Class II spent quality time out in the open, bonding with nature. The teachers narrated stories from Tagore's childhood. The children enjoyed listening to the humorous play Juto Abishkar.
For Classes III to V, the library period turned into a thoughtful exercise. Based on the translated poem, Paper Boats, the students were asked to write on: "To an unknown land on my paper boat". The children made their own boats and also wrote a message for a friend in it, to understand the essence of the poem.
"Rabindra Jayanti is not about celebrating a special day but a way of life. For a lasting impact, our students immersed themselves in activities based on the works of Tagore. Learning in the open, appreciation of art and giving shape to their imagination were the focus of the activities. I hope its effect stays on with the kids," said acting headmistress Sharmistha Dutta.
Pratt Memorial School
Students of Pratt Memorial School presented colourful performances on Rabindranath Tagore's works to celebrate his birth anniversary. The event is an elaborate affair every year.
Dressed in vibrant costumes, the students sang Rabindrasangeet, recited some of their favourite poems and presented creative dance performances.
The event took place in the school's new Pavilion Auditorium. It began with a prayer, followed by an introduction to the life and works of Tagore.
The Pre-primary students sang Ekla cholo re to set the ball rolling. The students also recited, Where the mind is without fear both in English and in Bengali.
More dance performances by the Pre-primary and Primary departments followed. The icing on the cake was a presentation, Nana Ronge Robi, that had the students fusing various classical dance forms to reproduce the essence of the bard. The programme was appreciated.
"Students presented a lovely performance on the occasion of Rabindra Jayanti. Celebrating the birth anniversary of the Bard of Bengal reminds us of our rich heritage and makes us feel proud," said principal Carolyn Lionel.
Purushottam Bhagchandka Academic School
Students, alumni, teachers and staff members of Purushottam Bhagchandka Academic School celebrated their Founder’s Day on April 24. The students staged a cultural programme to pay tribute to their founder, Purushottam Kumar Bhagchandka.
The official school song, We are PBASians, was released on the occasion. The school band performed it for the first time, dedicating it to the founder.
Also on the cards were a group song and dance performances. The girls showcased some gymnastics moves.
The highlight of the day was a skit on The Mahabharat. Students enacted a conversation between Arjun and Krishna.
The staff members, who had served the institution for more than 10 years, were felicitated.
The event ended with principal Madhuparna Andrews promising to strive for excellence in future.
“There were many significant performances. It was a moment of pride for me when our school song, recently composed, was performed before our founder by the students. The play on The Mahabharat was also enchanting as also the gymnastic performance which goes on to prove how talented our students are,” said the principal.
