“Dance is like any other subject”- Children’s Mash Competition Georgetown begins

The Georgetown leg of the children’s Mashramani competition kicked off on Monday at the National Cultural Centre (NCC). The event saw scores of learners from schools across the capital city showcasing their dance skills.

Participants Age 5-7 depicting Games We Play

During his opening remarks, Principal Education Officer Mr. Immanuel Bridgewater applauded teachers for their dedication to preparing the children for the competition. He also commended parents for their support, citing that some of the benefits of their children’s participation in events like these include improving their social skills and boosting their self-esteem.

Mr. Immanuel Bridgewater, Principal Education Officer

Dr. Ritesh Tularam, Deputy Chief Education Officer-TVET, who spoke on behalf of Minister of Education Priya Manickchand reiterated the Ministry’s commitment to the holistic development of our nation’s children through cultural activities like these. He said, “The Ministry of Education will continue to advocate and ensure that every single child, every single student regardless of their school, their district, their region, are exposed to these activities [to] help them to be civic minded responsible persons.” Dr. Tularam also outlined the objectives of the activities that constitute the Children’s Mashramani competition, noting that this event will remain a staple on the Ministry’s calendar.

Objectives:

– To promote expressive arts through cultural events

– To encourage creativity and collaboration between parents, teachers, students and communities

– To provide opportunities for students to display talents

– To foster a sense of pride in our national identity

Dr. Ritesh Tularam, Deputy Chief Education Officer- Technical Vocational Education Training (TVET)

The participants in Monday morning’s dance competition ranged from as young as 5 years to 13 years of age. So we chatted with one of our EdYou FM Broadcasters Mr. Lloyd Thomas about the benefits of dance, particularly for young children. Mr. Thomas is a teacher at Tutorial High who has a passion for youth development and a background in dance. In fact, he worked with the students representing Tutorial High in this segment of the competition.

Lloyd Thomas, Teacher and Broadcaster

According to Thomas, “Dance is like any other subject.” He further explained that it requires you to practise Math “because you have to know the angle of your feet and the position of your body, and the turns.” Dance even teaches you a little French since, as Thomas points out, most of the dance terms are French words. Dance, he says, also requires knowledge of Music and Science, and encourages one to understand and connect with society. “[Dance] takes a lot from a child and I find that children who are more a part of dance and drama in school, and the expressive arts, in general, they are naturally intelligent and are more inclined to succeed,” he concluded. The Georgetown leg of the competition continues this week at NCC with students participating in Dance, Masquerade, Calypso, Dramatic Poetry, Choir, Costume and Physical Display