Students at a Dubai school welcomed the spring season with music, songs, and dance as part of a new initiative to celebrate sustainability. The Gems Legacy School and Malhaar Centre for Performing Arts collaborated on the Vasant Utsav or Spring Festival, which was celebrated on Monday (March 13) morning at the school’s Garhoud, Dubai campus.
“Sustainability is the way of life at Gems Legacy School, and Vasant or spring means new season, new life, and new beginnings. Vasant Utsav is about celebrating Mother Earth and showing our gratitude towards her through music and dance,” said Asha Alexander, Principal and Executive Leader Climate Change, Gems Education, Gems Legacy School.
The students put up a stunning performance while keeping the ‘spring theme’ in mind. The festival is traditionally celebrated with teachers and students greeting each other with flowers and colours, and by celebrating the day with music and dance. For this occasion, the students showcased some centuries-old legendary compositions and dance movements curated by Malhaar.
“Malhaar Centre for Performing Arts has been our cultural training partner for the last three years. They train our students in various Indian performing art forms as part of our core subjects. Hence, our collaboration to give life to Vasant Utsav (spring festival) was a natural progress,” added Asha Alexander.
The school plans to make the festival an annual event and involve parents in the celebrations. “Parents will join our students to celebrate this beautiful occasion. The school will be decorated with flowers and kites. Apart from the music and dance, parents will take part in kite-making activities,” added Asha Alexander.
Jogiraj Sikidar, Founder and Director of Malhaar, said that while planning Vasant Utsav, they took their cues from the famous university in India, Shantiniketan. “Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore started the beautiful tradition of celebrating the spring festival at the revered university founded by him,” added Jogiraj Sikidar.