…the best compete at Nationals during dance and masquerade segment
The National Children Mashramani competitions kicked off yesterday at the National Cultural Centre and all eleven education districts brought their best to the stage – brought that distinct je ne sais quoi that secured them their spots at Nationals, plus a little something more of course. Day one of Nationals saw masquerades and dance by different age groups, dance coming under different themes: interpretive, religious beliefs and legends and traditions – all an explosion of energy in either the ‘jump-up’ that got the crowd going or the more dramatic pieces.    Education Minister Shaik Baksh, who declared the proceedings open, underscored the fact that a balance between aesthetics and academic essential to a rounded development.
He noted that children need a platform for creative expression which adds to their confidence and self-esteem and feeds backs into academic success.
According to him, the Education Ministry’s Strategic Plan gives the expressive arts added emphasis in recognition of their importance to the development of a well rounded individual.
Baksh maintained that Mashramani would not be the same without the children’s competitions and lauded the dedication of the Allied Arts Unit for making the activities a reality.
He called for the best performances and sure enough the best is most certainly what was had and what did the crowd in.
The audience, mind you, got a chance to put on a show of their own – led by Chairperson Travis Chase, whose co-host was no stranger to the stage, Henry Rodney.
And on they went…
Queenstown Primary, from Region Two (Pomeroon/ Supenaam), reminded their audience of the FIFA World Cup excitement with the event’s theme song and their entry ‘Fun in the Sun’.
Our own ‘champions’, in the five-to-seven category, even kicked the football around the stage, adding a few bits of their own athleticism to their routine.