There is so much work to do this week because we have the show this weekend. Amirin White won the Sony award for photography based on a photo she took of the children. She's coming back to take photos of this show. Yeah!
Today I started tap classes for ten children I selected. I also recommended five children to start learning piano. I'm pretty excited for them. I think I'm going to teach specific things to each grade, and as much as possible give the children something to practice to help them express themselves. So many of them need something to pour themselves into so they can deal with what they experience in life at home.
I gave the fourth grade a logic problem and they loved it. I taught tap to my special tap class day, and to Beena. I was really happy with both of them. I'm having Beena dance to that Aliyah song "Try Again". The other kids will dance to "Trashin' the Camp" from Tarzan. Oh Ohio Northerners.
I think I want to talk to education departments about sending people here for study abroad/ student teaching. I think it could be great for both parties.
I think I'm spending a day in Bangalore this weekend. I'm getting tired of travel. I really want to spend more time here at Shanti Bhavan. Blah. At least I'll have wireless. And I can eat a burger. And go swimming if I find a bathing suit. Or something to swim in. Besides, maybe I can find a better tailor there.
We spent the evening in the lounge with Steve and Jack playing guitars. They would pick a chord progression then we'd all try to make up verses and lyrics. It was lots of good fun that is funny.
I wore my pink peacock sari Wednesday because a teacher who never wears them said she would if I did. It was fun because I tied it myself. I'm starting to get better at it, but it's something that makes me feel extremely childish because I don't know how to dress myself well. I went to first period with wet hair in my sari and one of the children said "Miss, your dress is so beautiful, but you are looking so dull." I asked why and they told me "Miss you must be putting earrings and dark eyes and lipstick. And your hairs!" So, in a huff I went back to my room, put on dark eyeliner with cat's eyes and full make up. I put on a special necklace I made here and I added earrings. When I came back in the room the children FLIPPED. It was awesome. I felt so pretty all day. We watched Glory. Great movie.
We watched Blazing Saddles in the lounge last night. Haha. What a funny movie.
I'm not going to Bangalore. Instead of going along I decided to stay back. I'm just not in the mood. A burger can wait two more months. Last night my arm fell so completely asleep that I couldn't find my hand. Moment of terror.
At assembly Amiran White (that amazing photographer who's been here a couple times and won the Sony photo award for a picture she took here, www.amiranphoto.com) showed a slide show of a tiny fraction of the photos she's taken here. She's simply amazing. Lovely photos. I can't wait to have some real internet time to see what is on her website. I can tell you from personal experience that she is not only a great artist, but humble and cool. The kids liked the slide show. When a photo came up they'd yell the name of the person in it or they'd say oooooaaaaaaaaooooooaaaaaahhhh! if there was an action shot. Thirty minutes of Blue Jaaaaaay!! Aneethaaaa!!! was funny.
Last night's show was so great! The kids were incredibly excited all day. The excitement grew and grew until I started to worry about the level of their nervous energy. "Miss, I'm feeling nervous." "Miss, what do we wear tonight?" "Miss, Aunty said pink frocks are too short." "Miss, what if we mess up?" I tried to be encouraging and supportive. I told the second grade who seemed to be really worried that if they messed up I'd say that was a practice and let them try again. That seemed to calm them down a little. They were so excited though. Every kid was extremely proud of what they were going to do. I felt a little bad because the third grade did art projects, which were cool and decorated the stage, but they kept saying "Miss what do we do?" During the show I made a HUGE deal about the third grade.
I put little shiny bindis on all the little girls. They were wearing pink dresses and looked adorable. Apparently the dresses are from the inauguration of the school. Can you believe it? For warm up music I played all the songs the kids danced to with Sheryl and I. That was so fun. The kids were bopping around. Then Joe did the wave and I sang "The Princess Pat" with the school. The kindergarden was wonderful in their renditions of "Five Little Ducks" and "Rubber Ducky." They were so cute and at the end they all turned around, shook their tail feathers and quacked. The school went wild. The first grade played the mirror game to "A Whole New World" and then made bicycles out of their bodies. To introduce the show the spelled "Billy" out by standing in the shape of the letters. They did a really good job. Second grade danced to "Shine Ballet" from Billy Elliot. One of the older girls, Brinda, played the piano. One of the little boys, Dinesh, pretended to be the bossy class teacher and told the kids what to do as they danced. When he said "Alright, I'm sick of looking at you, class disperse." The whole audience lost it. Then came my length laudatory speech about the third graders. I made them answer questions and had them take a bow. Then the choir sang a snippet from one of the songs from Billy Elliot. It's Billy's solo, and the lyrics are:
Take me up and hold me gently,
lift me up and hold me high.
Through the night, under darkness,
will come a day when we will fly.
And although we've been rejected,
and although we've been outcast,
we will find a new tomorrow,
when we come to rest at last.
And we will stand there proudly.
And we will never walk alone.
And we will be returned back to our homes.
Pretty appropriate, huh?
They were accompanied by Anith on the piano. They were amazing. Then the fifth grade performed the play which they wrote based on the story of Billy Elliot. It was really great. I was impressed by their ability to go for it. And the writing was pretty darn good. In the first scene Billy falls down trying to do ballet, and the whole school cracked up. Too bad we forgot to teach the actors about holding for laughs. It was great overall, and it gave a great sense of what was happening in the rest of the scenes. Then the choir sang "Electricity" until the dance break accompanied by Rajne on the piano, and Pushpa on the violin. They were so amazing. The introduction to the song explained that it is Billy's answer to the question "What does it feel like when you're dancing?" The song started with two boys; Bharath, 4th grade, and Arun Kumar, 5th grade, singing:
I can't really explain it, I haven't got the words,
It's a feeling that you can't control.
It's almost like forgetting; losing who you are,
and at the same time, something makes you whole.
Then Chauncey, 8th grade (?) girl sang:
It's like that there's some music playing in your ear,
and I'm listening and I'm listening, and then I disappear.
And then I feel a change like a fire deep inside,
something bursting me wide open impossible to hide.
Then the three sang together:
And suddenly I'm flying,
flying like a bird, like electricity.
Electricity.
Sparks inside of me, and I'm free, I'm free.
Then the choir sang the next verse. It was beautiful. Their dynamics, expression and tonality were all wonderful. The whole school was captivated. I was crying. I was so proud of them.
Next the fourth grade, sixth grade and Been did a dance to the dance break of "Electricity." It was amazing. It brought down the house. The fourth graders represented the ballet side of Billy's life, while the sixth grade represented boxing and mining. Beena was sort of like what Billy might grow up to be. We had three sixth grade boys trying to learn to ballet as part of the dance. In the end they all dance in unison. I can't express how great it looked. Hopefully we'll be able to get some of these videos on YouTube when Elizabeth gets home.
As a special surprise we had the 8,9 and 11th grade girls learn the first half of the original choreography to "All That Jazz" and they performed it. Dr. George really likes the musical, so it was a special treat for him. They rocked out. They were really great at the tiny articulations and the still that Fosse requires. The intensity of their gazes and the style with which they performed were spot on. I was so proud of them. They were total man eaters.
Dr. George came up and made a speech. I have to say, it was really a rewarding experience. I loved it. I want to do more things like that. The pride and joy I felt and feel about those children is something really special.
1 comment:
I love you.
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