Anandam: The Joy of Learning
Anandam a significant day at Shiv Nadar School, unwinding a walk down in our yearlong learning path.Anandam defines the different baskets of Aha namely Visual arts, Dance, Music and theater. The program has a holistic approach and enhances cognitive, physical, aesthetic and cultural skills in us. Finally, it acts as a platform that allows us to showcase our talent through different stage performances.
The programme commenced by offering prayers to the embodiment of knowledge ‘Maa Saraswati” followed by our customary LAMP-LIGHTING ceremony by CEO Col. Gopal Karunakaran , Principal Ms. Anju Wal, and the Parent Representative Group Members.
The very first act of the event was Shades of Raag- Kaafi by the students of Indian Classical Music basket. The students were introduced to the concepts of Naad, dhwani and Raag and then explored Raag Kafi in their classes. They presented Sargam geet and Lakshan Geet in teentaal. The surroundings echoed with the honey-like sound and vocals of the students.
The musical performance was followed by a Blending Percussion. During the classes the students explored rhythm techniques and learnt about Indian and western percussion instruments. Here, the students showcased a variety of percussion instruments like Congo, Bongo, Dholak and tabla using a rhythm pattern. It was a true amalgamation of the different musical instruments.
The next act - Namskriya kriya- Angikam, was a tribute to Lord Shiva, whose body is the whole Universe, whose speech encompasses all the languages of the world and whose ornaments are the moon and the stars. The students from the Odissi dance basket were introduced to the basic movements and gestures of this classical dance style. It was a captivating performance that kept the audience hooked without a blink.
As said by Shakespeare- “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players”, such are the students of Theatre basket who get to play different roles as a part of their engagement. Students showcased the story of King Midas, a play, prepared through a series of movements and freezes. Students explored their imagination and played their roles with honesty.
The students of the Kathak dance basket had been learning about the various techniques of movements and expressions in their dance classes. They presented the famous episode of Lord Krishna stealing butter from the homes of gopis, a simple Kavitt with short tukdas, set in tentaal, a cycle of 16 beats, narrating the story through this Kathak performance. The Krishnas and gopis took us back in time and presented a fascinating dance performance.
Next performers were from the Theatre basket, who explored the folk tale of Brazil. They created the sounds, movements and improvised all the scenes during the process. The young artists performed the play- The Turtle and the Magic Flute. It was a treat to the eyes of the audiences.
As rightly said by the world renowned artist Degas” Art is not what you see but what you make others see”. Next were students from Visual Arts basket introduced who took up the stage and took their bows. Visual arts students had worked very hard through the year, to create their masterpieces. Images of animals and birds shaping the jungle scenes, were depicted in water color and mixed models in clay. Their works were appreciated closely in the Gallery Walks in the designated time.
As quoted by Plato “Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything” It was now time to let feet move to the beats as the talented Western Music students left the audience in high spirits, showcasing Jamming and vocals. Parents kept tapping their feet, feeling the power of the music created by the talented students. This brought us to the end of our lively stage performances. It was indeed a moment of pride and joy as we culminated our learning in front of audiences and geared up for future challenges.
The parents’ proceeded towards the Art Gallery of grade 1-2 in the shape of a beautifully put together exhibition of their works done throughout the academic year.
Aha Clay Modelling and Painting classes were spaces for Grade 1 and 2 children to experience and learn drawing and modelling organic forms such as animals and birds inspired from Nature on a rotation basis House-wise. Students of all Houses came up with a brilliant collection of paintings and clay sculptures executed in their Aha classes. Lion House came up with a series of models and drawings in pastels in geometric shapes, Panthers and Leopards came up with Animal and Bird forms respectively, in clay and painting while Tigers spent most amount of time putting together these forms inspired by Nature in meaningful compositions. The exhibition especially emphasized the Tiger House works bringing out the best of their achievements in the Art basket.
