Annual Day was celebrated across all grades in Manthan at the start of December. This was the first such event after the pandemic and was welcomed by students, staff and our parents with a lot of excitement.
Students of Pre-Primary to Grade 3 showcased the knowledge they gained in class through reflections of their learning in their events aptly named Pratibimb. The pre-primary shows were a combination of motor skills and class learning which included concepts of phonics, the phonics concept of silent ‘e’, the story of Eric Carle’s ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar,’ a dance drama on the Cinderella story, animal dance, rainbow dance and dreamers dance to round off the colourful programme that brought smiles to all faces. Learners of Grades 1 and 2 performed a welcome dance and then presented their learning in different skits about electricity, concepts of light and darkness, shapes, the importance of punctuation, endangered animals and global hand washing day. They danced to the songs of waves, stars and heavenly bodies, and also gave musical performances. They displayed their knowledge of Hindi and performed a dance drama on “The Piped Piper.” Grade 3 students featured their learning in the forms of dance, music, drama and elocution which spoke about our state of Telangana, the space, importance of punctuation and skits on “Akbar-Birbal”, “Peter and the Wolf,” and “The Mouse in the House.”
Students of Grades 4-12 took a step further to showcase their talents not only through academic avenues but also through the various activities that they hone their skills in as members of the different clubs in Manthan. Their events are, therefore, called Rangmanthan – a churning of different colours for the stage.
Capturing the rich tapestry of the country’s history through their Rangmanthan show ‘Golden Ages of India,’ students of Grades 4 and 5 took the audience on a magnificent journey of glory and valour starting from the Indus Valley civilisation to the British Raj through their performances in drama, dance and music. The Mauryan Empire, the Chola Kingdom, the valiant Rajputs, the Mughal rule, the Maratha warriors, the struggle for independence were all captured in vibrant hues.
Grade 6 learners presented a musical skit on the evolution of different forms of entertainment. Their performance on ‘Entertainment through the Ages’ explored how entertaining and being entertained changed from the time of gramophones to that of mobile gadgets today. They depicted how each form of entertainment left lasting impressions in the society of the time prompting the audience to reflect on what impressions the present mode of entertainment will be leaving for the coming generations.
Grades 7 and 8 incorporated all club related learning of the year and showcased their acquired and inherent talents through activities designed and thus weaved into the event. There was theatre and “tamasha” and dance and sports and music to depict the stages of life through a young boy, Chitti’s experiences. “Chitti’s Story” showed the different mindsets of people existing in the different strata of our society. ‘Live Speed Painting’ on spot by the art team generated props that were used for the theatrical performances.
Grades 9-12 introduced the audience to teenager Isha’s ordinary world of extraordinary ordeals. The Instagram-active, socially contagious, and frequently tantrum-struck heroine, Isha went on a mission to ferret out the whys, wherefores, and woes of a teenager’s life; and was tugged by the air threads of her dream as she delved into the rib-tickling investigation of the most uncanny, twisted, and unconventional case of a highly sought-after, handsome, sociable, lost bachelor, Mr Ernest Worthing, who was discovered in a handbag. Using the format of theatre within a theatre, the audience then followed his whimsical journey as he is ‘found’ and finally reunited with his real family.
The Grand Finale of Rangmanthan was a concert, “Confluence,” by the Music Club students of Grades 7-12. They created a harmony of diverse languages and genres woven into a seamless tapestry of melodies, ranging from the rhythmic beats of Bollywood tunes to the soulful fusion of South Indian soft rock. The audience immersed themselves in the virtuosic energy of heavy metal and swayed to the soothing rhythms of New Age tunes, as everyone celebrated a multicultural extravaganza of global sounds and rhythms that finally called curtains on this four-day celebration. It is believed that after silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music!
In the words of Arthur O’Shaughnessy — “We are the music makers, and we are the dreamers of dreams.” So we continue to dream till the next annual day celebrations come around.