Talent show: As imagination, hopes and dreams come alive

Primary school children whip up enthralling performances.

ISLAMABAD: Much to their parents’ amusement, primary school graders of Westminster School stole the show at a talent show hosted at Islamabad Club on Saturday.

Doting parents and teachers filled the auditorium seats admiring first graders Sinnan Salman and Salar Sarmad’s opening drum and guitar performance. The school tried to show parents their classics-oriented curriculum through performance pieces such as skits from Mark Twain’s iconic Tom Sawyer character.

Students flaunted linguistic skills during readings of French poems.

“I was glad to see that children are being taught another language in the school, it’s important to know different languages, I wish I had learnt while I was younger,” commented a parent.

Along the same classical theme, Raiyan Chinoy rendered with dexterity Beethoven’s compositions that the audience were thoroughly impressed with.

Young Rabab sang a subtle rendition of “You are not alone”, displaying promise in tone and talent.

The largely western influenced night did have its grounding in Pakistan as Ansa Zahid sang a Punjabi song “Ankhian nu rain de” to the parents’ delight. Mustafa and Muhammad Bangash sang Pashto song “Karar”.

Middle school children showcased mime skills, dressed in black and white, while colourfully dressed fourth graders danced kathak. Music again took the centre stage with Francesco and Usman’s instrumental of Metallica’s “The day that never comes”.

The performances were decidedly mature for the primary graders, but the direction came from the school’s creative head and director Raheel Sajjad Khan who believes that schools aren’t just places of learning math and science but also the creative disciplines. “A school should polish all their gifts,” he told The Express Tribune.

Khan has been involved with promoting expressive tools in the school with his production of “Barefoot in the Park” last fall for O and A level students. He also commented that the students went through rigorous but enjoyable rehearsals for two months for the show.

He said the school tried to include every child in the event, encouraging participation through direction, hall management, sound, lights, props, backstage, costumes and makeup.

The night was a testament to the fact that the rehearsals paid off. Exiting the auditorium, a parent said, “I have never enjoyed a talent show as much; there was not a single dull moment.”

Published in The Express Tribune, May 21^st, 2012.