DANCE-CONVERSATION BETWEEN THE BODY AND THE SOUL
The School, under the aegis of SPIC MACAY, hosted a delightful Bharatanatyam performance by the celebrated artist, star performer, classical Indian dancer and choreographer Padma Shri Geeta Chandran Ji, who has also been the recipient of several other prestigious awards, on October 18.
The programme started with the traditional lighting of the lamp and a warm welcome of Geeta Ji by the School Director Sh. H M Rout and the School Principal Mr A K Dubey. She was accompanied and ably supported by Sri.S.Shankar on Nattuvangam, Smt.Jyothi Sridevi (Vocal), Sri Manohar Balanchandirrane on mridangam, Sri Ravinder Rajput on flute and Ms Madhura Bhrushundi as dance assistance.
Ms Chandran used her inordinate skill in the dance form as force multiplier for the widest range of dance issues in expressing the abstract notions of joy, beauty, values, aspirations, myth and spirituality. In her effort to ‘en-dance the universe’, she engaged the audience in a strategic range of dance-related activities: performing, teaching, singing and speaking to new youth audiences. Her expressions, gestures and energy emanated kept one and all spellbound throughout. Her deep and composite understanding of the art form won her many a fan in Dewan.
KATHAKALI DANCE
Kathakali dance collocated in the premises of Dewan public school under the mentorship of “spic-macay.” This morning , a scintillating dance performance in kathakali genre was enacted by the world renowed artist Shri "Sadnam Krishnakutty". The program was co-ordinated by Shri Appukuttam with dancer Kutti Krishnan who displayed elegant ‘mudras” with skillful hands; his facial expressions were also laudable. The performance was made further bewitching by the instrumentalists and percussionists – Shri kaliniyam sinu on illatadam, Shri kalamandalam Devarajan on chenda instrument with Shri Kalamandalam Jayaprasad on Mardalam instrument.The aesthetics were enhanced by the accompanying make-up artist, Shri Kaliniyam Padmanabham.The event left all the spectators spell bound; plunged in the ocean of ‘Indian Performing Arts’.
SPIC MACAY [The Society of The Promotion of Indian Classical Music & Culture Amongst Youth] is a voluntary youth movement which seeks to foster the traditional Indian values and generate awareness of the cultural traditions and heritage of India. It is a movement with chapters in over 300 towns in India and abroad. In order to achieve its goals, SPIC MACAY organises concerts, Lec cum Demo, workshops, conventions, intensives, heritage walk and talks by eminent scholars and thinkers in schools/colleges with support of the local chapters.
Dewan is the pioneer school to have spearheaded the Meerut Chapter in 2000, with inaugural concert by Ustad Shahid Parvez on Sitar. Later, it hosted the State Convention of UP and Uttarakhand with the inaugural concert by legendary Padma Vibhushan Vidushi Girija Devi (Thumri).
Since then the school has been actively involved in coordinating SPIC MACAY events in campus and schools around the city. In 2010 the school played host to a three day School intensive with inaugural concert by Padma Vibhushan Pt Hari Prasad Chaurasia on Flute.
Over the years, the school has had the proud privilege to witness performances of many legendary artists like
| Artist Name | Art Form |
|---|---|
| Shri Partho Sarthy | Sarod |
| Bharti Bandhu | Sufi Music |
| Smt Sulochana Brihaspati | Classical Music |
| Pt. Bholanath Mishra Ji | Vocal |
| Pt. Pushpraj Koshti | Surbahar |
| Habib Tanveer | Naya Theatre |
| Warsi Brithers | Qawwali |
| Pt Kushal Das | |
| Padma Shri Geeta Mahalik | Oddisi Dance |
| Dr. Neena Prasad | Mohiniyattam |
| Ustad Kadar Niazi Qawwal | Qawwali |
| Ms Malli Sharma | Kathak |
| Pt. Rajendra Gangani | Kathak |
| Arati Kalikar | Hindustami Vocal |
| Gaurav Mazumdar | Sitar |
| Guru Yaima Singh | Pung Cholam (Manipuri dance form) |
| Pt Vishwa Mohan Bhatt | Mohan Veena |
| Guru Vijay Kumar Sahu | Gotipua (Oddisi classical dance form) |
| Ustad Shahid Parvez | Sitar |
| Padma Shri Rajkumar Singjit Singh and Amt Chary Sija | |
| Pt Ronu Majumdar | Flute |
| Padma Vibhusan (2016) Smt Girija Devi | Thumri |
| Pt Ramu Shastri | Violin |
| Pt Krisna Mohan | Kathak |
| Padmaa Shri Smt Shovna Narayan | Kathak |
| Ms. Madhumita Raut | Odissi dance |
| S. Kanka | Bharat Natyam |
| Padma Bhushan Teejan Bhai | Panda Neeru Katha Chhatisgarh |
| Ustad Mumtaj Hussain Khan | Shehnai |
| Pt Rajendra Prasanna | Flute |
Besides these, the school has also been organising as well as actively taking part in all SPIC MACAY conventions. To name a few:
| Event | Details |
|---|---|
| State Convention | For Uttar Pradesh and Uttaranchal, organised by the school and graced by Padma Vibhushan Smt. Girija Devi |
| 25th Annual National Convention | Indian Military Academy, Dehradun |
| Uttrakhand State Convention | Welhams’ School for Girls |
| National Convention | Kerala |
| UP State Convention | Tata Chem DAV Public School, Barala, Badaun |
| National School Intensive | Pune |
| 27th National Convention | National Institute of Technology, Surathkal, Karnataka |
| UP State Convention | Teerthanker University, Moradabad |
| 1st International Convention | IIM, Kolkata |
| 3rd International Convention | IIT, Mumbai |
| 1st Winter National Convention | IIT, Roorkee |
| 4th International Convention | IIT, Guwahati |
