THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Folk Dance (Girls) competition in the high school category, held at the ‘Periyar’ stage in the Government Women’s College Auditorium, attracted a lively crowd on the second day of the State School Arts Festival.
The 24 performances from 14 districts staged on Sunday saw a mix of energetic movements, engaging narratives, and colourful costumes.
As in the past festivals, themes around the struggles of marginalised groups continued to be a popular choice in this 63rd edition of the festival. Of the 24 students who participated in the competition, 16 secured an A grade. Sriya Sarath from H S S Chentrappinni, Thrissur, chose the theme of a landslide for her performance. Arun Ambalathu, who choreographed the piece, shared that the choreography was developed in June, prior to the devastating landslide in Wayanad.
“We had already set the choreography back in June, and then the landslide occurred. It was a shock to us as well as to the students. Sriya expressed a strong desire to visit Wayanad. She visited the areas and was deeply moved by the tragedy. Her performance conveyed her genuine emotions,” said Arun. The performance depicted the loss experienced by women — their homes, husbands, and children — due to natural disasters. It tried to convey the message that we must work to protect nature.
Swasthika Surendran from M P S G V H S S Bellikoth, Kasaragod, staged a performance themed around a woman involved in the slave trade. “Last time, another student had performed a similar item. That’s when we decided we shouldn’t repeat the same and should come up with something fresh. So, we chose a news story,” shared Sreeresh Ratnakaran, the teacher who guided Swasthika.
Anvitha Sunil from Kadambur Higher Secondary School, Kannur, portrayed a girl wrongfully accused and burned to death by villagers for a crime she never committed. During her performance, a technical glitch caused the song to abruptly stop. But the organisers gave her another chance to complete the performance.
“We tested the song several times but there was not issue. It seems the problem was with the organisers’ system. Although there was a slight delay when the song first stopped, I was able to continue my performance without any further issues,” said Anvitha.