KOCHI: Technical glitches took the sheen of many performances, especially the dance items, when the sound system malfunctioned many times. In some cases, the issue cropped up midway during the performance. These issues not only affected the performance of the participants but also led to heated exchanges between the technicians and the guardians of the students.
On Thursday, the Kerala nadanam performance held at Govt Girls’ Higher Secondary School, Ernakulam, was interrupted many times and one unlucky participant had to bear the brunt of all the interruptions. Vijesh D of Govt Higher Secondary School, Elamakara, was the unlucky participant whose performance got disrupted twice. The first time, the laptop that was being used to play the CD got switched off after its battery drained out and the second time the power went out. According to Sunilkumar, Vijesh’s dance teacher and brother, the issue had been prevalent right from day one. “On the first day, the sound system gave out mid-performance during bharatanatyam recital,” he told Express. “However, when we took up the issue with the technician, he blamed it on the CD. The technician said the CD was faulty. But we had checked it in order to ensure nothing goes wrong,” he said.
“They have brought in low-class equipment and in order to cover up their shortcomings, the officials are blaming us. This is not done. If the issue had cropped up only once or sporadically, we could have acknowledged their claims. But when it happens frequently, it becomes tough to believe their claims,” he said.
He said the frequent disruptions affected the confidence of the dancer. “He got tensed up and that affected his movements. All this had affected his performance and hence the result,” said Sunilkumar. Vijesh didn’t secure any position. “We have put in an appeal against the decision since the outcome is the result of the inefficiency of the organisers. How can a boy perform three times for nearly 15 minutes each and not get tired?” he asked.