Cultural
Outreach
ANITA speaks
up on WHY ARTS-IN-EDUCATION PROGRAMMES:
"Children
are like sponges – they absorb so easily. They are at an ideal age when
they can be moulded into what they want to be. They have an intricate native
intelligence and spontaneity that as elders we tend to lose.
Today's
schools do not help children to develop their inherent skills. There is
no space for creativity and imagination in our curriculum. A child's imagination
is least rewarded at school. They are afraid to be different from others.
Infact they have become resident NRI's – they watch MTV and ape western
culture... not wrong in itself, but they are losing their "racial memory",
they don't know the "stories of yore", they have lost their link with the
past. We do not allow our children to dream. That is why many adults these
days quit their professions and take up their passion as a vocation.
In order
to stimulate their latent talents, I conduct workshops that stimulate imagination
and creativity. Since children like listening to stories, I intend to develop
harikatha in English. My programmes are packed exclusively for young minds
– fun, stimulating and thought-provoking!".
A core team
of trained ADT dancers, take the joy of
movement to school children, creating a new medium for inculcating confidence,
self-awareness and pride in India's cultural heritage. Anita's Cultural
Outreach programmes also include housewives / corporates / professionals
/ marginalised groups.
The activities
include:
2000 saw
a concerted effort by ADT to strengthen
its work in the Arts-In-Education. A new facet of the programme was specially-designed
programmes for young audiences that would be taken into schools and
performed with participation by some students of the school as well. Some
of the shows are:
• Daughters
of the Ocean
• Suvvadu,
three steps to...
DAUGHTERS
OF THE OCEAN
(... discovering
the goddess within)
A
Contemporary Dance Theatre Production by Anita Ratnam and Arangham Dance
Troupe, Chennai (Madras), India
As a beginning,
a special students' nodule of Arangham's full-fledged dance theatre performance,
Daughters of the Ocean was presented
in three exclusive shows for Chennai's schools between September 2nd -
4th, 2000 at The Museum Theatre. The overwhelming response saw students
actively participate in the post performance discussion as well as join
in a competition to give their impressions of the work through a poem,
painting, essay or story. The first and second prizes went to students
from Padma Seshadri Bala Bhavan School.
Studentspeak
When we
found out that this production involved Anita Ratnam, we assumed that it
was going to be a dance concert. Boy! Were we in for a major surprise!
Anita and her three colleagues created a new form of dance with Bharatanatyam,
ballent and yoga. The outcome - fantastic, awesome!
R.
SHREE, Std IX
We were
all mesmerised by the performance... awestruck by the unusual style of movements,
the costumes, the " rain stick" , the " ocean drum" ... the sounds of nature.
We left the theatre silent, feeling we had experienced something so special
that we could not even discuss it amongst ourselves.
ARYA
MURALI, Std IX
SUVVADU
Three Steps
to...
A Contemporary
Stage Performance by Arangham Dance Theatre, Chennai
Also featuring
Noted Stage Artiste Revathy Sankkaran
(October 2000)
From
the reactions to " Daughters of the Ocean", Anita Ratnam decided to go ahead
with a show only for student audiences and planned SUVVADU
for October 2nd 2000, on the 111th Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.
Here too there was an open invitation to students to react to the work
with the topic" WHAT 3 STEPS WOULD YOU LIKE TO TAKE IN YOUR LIFE AND WHY?!"
The audience
feedback to the October 2000 show at The Music Academy was so enthusiastic,
that the show got invited to visit two schools and was presented in their
auditoriums. On November 10, 2000, SUVVADU was presented for the two branches
of Padma Seshadri School, Chennai. Again on Dec 11, 2000 SUVVADU was presented
at Sishya School, Chennai.
Studentspeak
Well, Anita's
musical brainchild,
Has definitely
left a 'suvvadu' on my mind
That-
No matter
what you want to do,
God will
always be with you,
Be it an
artist, VJ or even a carpenter,
Just follow
your dream,
Later,
you wouldn't want to be a repenter! - R.
SHREE, Std 1X
It was
about how we were, how we are,
And how
we aren't to be
And taught
us learnings of near and far
And also
three by words, it did, yes siree! - VINITHRA
SRINIVASAN, Std X
The
programme was awesome and brilliant!
Suvvadu
wasn't a programme
It was
a musical, emotional, comical extravaganza! - A
Student, Std X
I liked
the three mantras - COURAGE, HOPE and AMBITION
The programme
provided me with the scope to search myself, introspect, discuss and read
more... the programme has left an indelible imprint on my mind - ADITI
SUNDARRAMAN, Std X
At the end
of the show, I found a few tears trickling down. It happened unconsciously!
I never knew I had this sensitivity in me. It has helped me see a part
of myself that I knew for sure was not a part of me. It has helped me feel
whole and I mean every word I say.
A "new kind
of light" has been lit inside me... - SM
ABISHEK, Std X
If you are
interested in our workshops/training programmes contact us
