Summary
Platform encourages out-of-the-box thinking, say school heads
Tension gave way to triumph and competition to camaraderie as students from across the city and beyond participated in the finals of the TTIS Challenge.
From Kalyani to Kharagpur, students accompanied by their teachers marked their presence since Saturday morning at City Centre Salt Lake for the Narayana International School and Credmont International School presents TTIS Challenge 2025 powered by Amity University Kolkata in association with Bishop George Mission Group of Schools and partnered by Pentonic.
They were in no mood to go back till late in the evening.
In the last few days, the girls from Delhi Public School Joka juggled between the sports field and the dance arena to participate in the fusion dance round. They finished third, with a fusion of ballet and Odissi.
“We have our annual sports day on Sunday. So, it was a tug of war-between our sports and dance teacher. We would practice for the school drill in the first half and for the dance in the second,” said Class XI student Shibangi Mistry.
Dance teacher Urmimala Sengupta said from the sidelines: “For an event of this stature we have to be thorough in our training and the girls can’t afford to make mistakes on the stage.”
For the judges, it was not just their performance but the thought behind each presentation.
“The effort they had given came across. What was important was their concept and how well they could execute it,” said actor Sonalee Chaudhuri, one of the judges of the Fusion Dance round.
There was appreciation and cheering not only from the judges but also from students of different schools. Class XI student Shiboshree Saha of the HM Education Centre, came from as far as Bally at 9.30am.
At 4pm, she was cheering and video recording the performance of students on the stage for the fashion parade and fusion dance.
“There is something to learn from everyone and why should we restrict ourselves to our school,” said Shiboshree, who participated in the western solo category.
Prem Sai Ponguru, founder and chairman of Credmont International School, said a platform like the TTIS Challenge is empowering for students.
“By encouraging participation in extracurricular activities, we empower our students to discover new passions, develop holistic skills and showcase their creative flair. The TTIS challenge catalyses their growth,” he said.
For Class X student Manab Burman and his team from St Sebastian School in Tangra, it was their maiden open-air event.
“We have performed in auditoriums in front of smaller audience but here it was out in the open and in front of so many people. The scale is different,” he said.
They presented a music piece with buckets, glass and paper in the Unconventional Orchestra category.
Niraj Jaiswal, founder-director of Bishop George Mission Group of Schools, said a platform like this helps nurture creativity and out-of-the-box thinking.
“Apart from academics, extracurricular activities have to be infused into students so that it helps their overall development and they excel in whichever field they want to pursue.”
Griffins International School, Kharagpur, was adjudged the Champion of the Champions School.
One of the highlights of the final day was DJ Akash Rohira, who regaled the crowd with numbers like Sauda Khara Khara, Tune Mari Entryaan and many more.
Last updated on 26 Jan 2025
