On 24th and 25th November the campus of Sri Venkateshwar International School was bubbling with festivity, joy and fervour marking the annual day of classes VII and VIII. Right from the invitation cards and decorations to the dress-code of the staff, one could sense the ethnicity of the cultural extravaganza that the audience would be treated with. The extent to which it would leave us spellbound, however, was unanticipated. Quoting the comperers, “this is the first time” that Sri VIS had “gathered enough courage to invite Lord Venkateshwar, and hence, the overwhelming feeling” was that the school had, on its Annual Day 2017, ‘come into being’. They indeed stood true to their belief. The invocation dance, without a doubt, was one that could give professional performances a run for their money, had as its capstone the coming of the formidable looking Lord Venkateshwar on stage.
Before the spectacle, however, the guests and the audience were welcomed by the school Symphony Orchestra, which presented an eclectically beautiful piece entitled ‘Rhythm of Joy’. The harmonious ensemble, set to ‘Raag Bheempalaasi’, was an avant-garde fusion of Indian and western classical music, including shades of Waltz, blended with Asian and Ethnic beats.
Ahead of the day’s main production was the school Principal, Miss Nita Arora’s presentation of the Annual Report, which showcased how in the previous year Sri VIS had added even more countless feathers to its already lavish cap.
The highlight of the show was the musical-ballet entitled ‘Sita- Nareetva ka Parichaayak’. The play centered on women empowerment, making the viewers think about the space that women has in the society. The drama saw an adapted narration of ‘The Ramayana’, being set against the backdrop of contemporary village life, and introducing elements such as the ‘Sutradhaars’ or the narrators addressing the audience, agit-prop theatrical device of the protagonist – here Sita – directly questioning the spectators. It highlighted the strength of “SITA” as a woman and asked society to honour women folk.
The Chief Guest for the first day, Major General (Retd.) Pramod Kumar Saigal, was all praise for the school, expressing that it was amongst the best annual events that he had witnessed in schools the world over. Cinestar Mrs. Alka Chatwal, the Chief Guest on the second day, was equally glad to have witnessed the show if not more, saying that the actor in her wanted to be a part of the play as she watched it. The guest and the audience responses left the SVIS family satiated and glad, providing further encouragement and excitement to come up with something even grander for the next year.
