The 2010 National Children’s Mashramani Competition had a fiery start literally at the National Cultural Centre (NCC) on Wednesday, followed by memorable dance performances with many schools highlighting the need to preserve the forests.

As the curtains came up and the dance finalists prepared to take the stage, a cloth which was part of the stage decoration and was resting on a light bulb, caught fire.

The small fire saw the entire NCC being evacuated and the Minister of Education Shaik Baksh and Minister of Works, Transport and Hydraulics Robeson Benn making appearances at the NCC. However, the fire was extinguished with a fire extinguisher and when the smoke cleared the competition began in earnest.

Children from five to 17 years old from all the regions convened at the NCC where the first day of competition, dancing, began.

The day started with the little ones strutting and shaking their tail feathers and for some their wings but St Margaret’s Primary of Georgetown outshone all others.

In the 5-7 age group, the Malgre Tout Primary from Region Three danced into the third place with ‘Pressing Forward with Perseverance and Endurance’ in the category religious beliefs.

‘Butterflies Paradise’ by Regma Primary of Region Ten earned the second place. The adorable fluttering butterflies which were a fantasy piece would have won first place if St Margaret’s Primary was not part of the competition.

Taking first place, St Margaret’s pupils soothed and inspired the NCC gathering with their ‘Praise Him’ dance.

Meanwhile in the 8-10 years old group category Region Three’s Vreed-en-Hoop Primary won third place.

The second place was nabbed by Region Four’s Mon Repos with ‘Humble Worship’ and while the dance was well executed, the nun-attired dancers had to bow to St Margaret’s Primary whose dance titled ‘A Light to the World’ was flawless and well done with the dancers actually lighting up the stage at the end of their performance.

Floundering Masquerade

Throughout the masquerade flouncing and masquerade band performance two things were lacking: energy and technique.

While credit has to be given to the flouncers who managed to execute three of the ten moves that judges were looking for, the lukewarm performances and shabby costumes had many in the audience wishing for the performers to just come off the stage.

The much-hallowed art form did not garner any crowd support and very few performers. In both the flouncing and band displays there were no more than five schools participating.

In the 5-7 individual category, young Alister Thomas of Aurora Primary gave his best performance at flouncing. It was enough to earn him first place while the only other competitor in the age group: Shamiah Enniss of Mackenzie Primary took the second place.

There was only one band in that age group and it was from Mackenzie Primary which meant it automatically took first place.

In the 8-10 age group Clonbrook Primary’s Andre Toney took the first place for flouncing while Mahaicony Primary took the first place for the band titled ‘Joy Ride’.

And in the11-13 years category for flouncing, Ann’s Grove took first place while in the band display Wisburg Secondary took first place. In the masquerade band 14-17 years category, New Silver City took first place over North Georgetown Secondary and Cotton Field Secondary who placed second and third respectively.

Michael Jackson’s ‘Earth Song’

There were many performances of “Earth Song” by Michael Jackson and every group that danced to the song depicted the importance of preserving the forests and it environs but the best “Earth Song” was done by Anna Regina Secondary.

While the school did not place, their use of props, both human and non-human, was the most fluent depiction of Jackson’s lyrics. The tree-nymph-like dancers poured out their despair at the destruction and pollution of the earth and the sea.

Also performing to “Earth Song” was third place finishers in the 8-10 age group category Vreed-en-Hoop Primary. Their dance was titled ‘Love Earth, Save It’.

Mahaicony Secondary also performed the song in a medley of Michael Jackson songs in their entry titled ‘Stop the Good Girls From Going Bad’.
The best of the best

The winners in Wednesday’s dance competition were well deserved. For many of them the performance, costume and execution were well on the mark.

First place 11-13 individual dance went to St Margaret’s Primary’s Karisha Charles who performed ‘Inspiration’ well enough to beat out Pujah Boodhoo of Anna Regina Secondary and Nalini Kumar of Lusignan Primary who placed second and third respectively.

And the first place group 11-13 went to Richard Ishmael’s Secondary whose ‘African Vibration’ was a high energy performance that had a strong finish.

Closing off the day’s dancing was the 14-17 category which saw Tutorial High dominating in both the individual and group category.

In the individual category Shaquila Hollingsworth’s ‘God is the Answer’ triumphed over Beterverwagting Community High’s Nadanie Bhimsain who placed second. The second place finisher’s ‘Saragama’ was a legends and traditions piece that has intricate and precise foot movements as she performed a kathak-like dance.

And in the group category Tutorial again took the first place with ‘Cultural Overload’. The high energy performance was not as high energy as it was at the Georgetown competition last week. But the live singing by Jumo managed to keep the school at the top.

The national competition ends today.