Report on Annual Day
Std IV & V
Eternal Ether
panchmahabhutam
Saturday, 15 th October, 2022
“Art is as natural as sunshine, and as vital as nourishment.” ~ MaryAnn F. Kohl
The Annual Day 2022-23, for the Upper Primary Section, was held on Saturday, 15 th October, 2022 at the VPMS, Pune Amphitheatre with full gusto and fervor. The event was graced by the presence of Dr Ajay Joshi, a practicing Dentist and a well-known face in the field of drama and theatre, as Chief Guest. The theme; ‘Eternal Ether’, based on the five elements of nature, was an effort to bring to light, how each human being is a miniature representation of the universe. The event began with a sapling being planted by the Chief Guest; a novel ritual,
introduced in place of the traditional lamp lighting ceremony, as a mark of reverence to our Mother Gaia.
The curtains rose to the students taking the stage with its dazzling lights opening straight into the heavens where the Divine Council, consisting of the Elemental Gods were introduced to the audience. This was when Mother Gaia shared her grievance and gripped the audience with her performance. Seeing her in pain due to the mindless behaviour of the earthlings, infuriated God of Ether and
he was seen performing the much-dreaded Tandav; his dance of fury. He sent a massive solar flare to the Earth, which destroyed everything that came in its way. Seeing that the humans had suffered enough, he decided to reincarnate on earth as a teacher. Thereon, began his quest to illuminate the students, with the knowledge of the universal law of nature, ‘As above, so below. As within, so without.!’
After descending onto the earth, the teacher held classroom discussions on why they had suffered so much. To show them the reasons, the students performed a heart-wrenching mime, which depicted all the ways in which humans have wronged Mother Gaia. They brought to light, the contamination of water bodies, the pollution of air and the misuse of the element of fire. Mother Gaia shared her saga with the audience and showed her fateful end which numbed the audience and left them thinking. Next the students touched upon Water; the elixir of life, through a melodious rendition, ‘Jal Na Jaye Jal’, by the choir students. Their performance was a treat to the ears as they presented fast tanaas and tihai which symbolized the flow of water. It mesmerized the audience to the limits of being compelled to call for more. Special sound effects added by instruments like the khanjiri, rainstick and the mridangam, amplified the emotion of the song. Next, the students moved onto the third element; Fire. They showed how humans have had an inherent fear of fire, and yet how it can be transformational. The use of stunts and fire fans with lights, enthralled the audience. The students also displayed a live sketch on stage, showcasing their artistic talent. Further, they moved on, to present a hip-hop dance on ‘Chal Hawa Aane De’ on the element of Air. They had the audience clapping to
the beat while enjoying their performance. Next, they met a group of astronauts who were visiting Venus, the planet of Love. Through their lively performance, ‘Final Countdown’ they gave the message that space is not empty, it is full of love! The surprise element was the teachers and staff members of the section joining in, to present a well-coordinated UFO formation! Finally, the students learnt, how these elements play in the universe and consequently in their body. They concluded that if they do not take care of the elements, the elements won’t take
care of them. This called for the grand finale’; a captivating ballet, which was presented as a tribute to the five elements. The performance was a hypnotic presentation which left the audience spellbound. The creatively done props, the carefully crafted costumes, the apt makeup and hairdo and the perfect selection of visuals that ran as a backdrop on the LED screen, added glamour to the ensemble.
The powerfully worded script was delivered effortlessly by the drama students while the anchors compered the show with flawless diction and pronunciation. The reactions received from the assemblage, proved that the magical performance on Eternal Ether, was nothing short of theatrical excellence. The show had reached its culmination but the learnings were meant to stay with the students for life.
The curtains drew to a thunderous applause from the audience, for that day, a whopping 310 students had taken the stage by storm and had won the hearts of all the spectators with their riveting performance!
Compiled By:
Ms Sheetal Upadhye
Conceptualizer and Script Writer
