Deens Academy Route to Excellence
Kindergarten events:
Tres Chic-Krishna Menon
The way we cloth ourselves has drastically changed since the pre-modern era. From dresses made of leaves to synthetic mini-skirts – we’ve come a long way by using the resources Mother Nature has provided us with.
‘Tres Chic’ was held in tribute to Mother Nature. It was a fashion show for 3-5 year olds. The participants were required to dress up according to the theme, which was Mother Nature. These costumes had to be made from eco-friendly materials.
Three schools participated in this event. The small kids were decked up in amazing costumes representing various elements of nature. One school had even made their costumes out of newspapers, representing the importance of recycling and reusing of materials. The costumes and the small routines were very cute and the teachers were very proud of what the children put up. The creativity and ideas put forward by all the participating schools was appreciated but the judges were won over by the students of DPS Whitefield, coming in first place, followed by the students of Vydehi School of Excellence. The event created an awareness of the importance of nature and the children left with the knowledge of values and newly discovered information.
Folk-lure-Rachel Elengical
‘Folk-lure’ was the folk song event for the kindergarten children in Volksfiesta. The event was to convey, through the universal language of music, the rich and diverse cultural heritage of India through folk songs.
The teams showcased their musical talent through harmonious music and props, accompanied by actions according to the rhythm of the songs.
The team from Euro School, followed by DPS Whitefield, however, bagged the first and second place respectively by performing captivating melodies, with the right rhythms and tunes, along with their innovative costumes and creative use of their props.
Overall, the event was a musical success and truly captured the beauty of the culture of India
NanheKalakaar-Rachel Elengical
The dance competition of Volksfiesta for children of 4-5 years, ‘NanheKalakaar’, was meant to display the traditions and uniqueness of India as a country. Being a country of great diversity in culture, folk dances have always been an important part of traditions. The kindergarten participants were required to display any Indian folk dance within a set time limit.
The children delivered stunning performances and showcased the varied and beautiful culture of India with their fluid and captivating movements. Their costumes were also a pleasure to the audience and the judges.
The winning team from Euro School, followed by DPS Whitefield in the second place, had impressed the judges with their clever use of the outfits and their creative choreography.
The event was truly a sight to behold as the culture of India was displayed in traditional, but exciting, folk dance.
Primary and Middle school events:
Cup-a-licious-Rachel Elengical
One of the most unique events of Volksfiesta was the cupcake decorating event, ‘Cup-a-licious’. Participants from the primary grades had to decorate a set of delicious cupcakes with frosting, sprinkles and other ingredients to create an overall scrumptious desert.
Though the event seemed to be an easy one, it incorporated the use of ingredients in a creative manner and involved innovative thinking from the students’ side. Each of the participants delivered with a bunch of delectable looking and tasting goodies that the judges thoroughly enjoyed.
DPS Whitefield took the first position due to their success in conveying a message in an illustrious manner. Cup-a-licious brought out the inner patisseries in the youngsters and was an event of inspiration and taste that captivated the audience from the beginning to the end.
Ekolam-Rachel Elengical
Ekolam, an event similar to a flower arrangement competition, was truly a colourful display of creativity and imagination. The team of four participants was required to make attractive rangoli designs using only organic materials, no chemical pigments were allowed. The fourth graders were given two hours to arrange their materials into an appealing design.
In the end, the winning team from DPS Whitefield, followed by Euro School in second place, were the teams who brought out the true vibrancy and beauty of their theme “Sthairyam” by utilizing materials that were environment friendly, displaying originality and of course, working as a team.
Crossroads Conquest-Jahnavi S Iyer
Volksfiesta’s take on ‘Crisis Management’ was titled ‘Crossroads Conquest’. There were a total of eight teams participating and three tasks in this, all which required the students students to bring in elements of sustainability.
As part of the 1st task, the students were required to come up with a marketing strategy in order to sell their township. The students were given a time limit of 30 minutes to submit the writeups after which the sheets were collected and given to the judges. At the end of the first task, 2 teams were eliminated.
In the 2nd task, the students had to prepare a poster corresponding to the writeups that they had submitted for the first task; showcasing the facilities and amenities of their township. They were given 30 minutes to design the poster after which it was collected.Another team was eliminated at the end of this task and the remaining 5 teams proceeded to the last round.
In the last, i.e., the 3rd task, the teams were required to make a model of their township with the given materials and they were given a set of rules and regulations that they had to keep in mind while building their township. They were given a time limit of an hour.
After the assigned hour, the students then presented the model to the judges, explaining the elements in their township. The teams were quizzed by the judges based on their arrangements and placements of elements in the township.
The results were announced during the prize distribution and a team from DPS and the solo act from Freedom International School had secured the first and the second place respectively
Shadow Play-Shubhra Agarwal
Shadow play is an ancient form of storytelling, hailing from southeast Asia. The charm is in it’s simplicity- using just a light, a wall and your hands, you can tell a story.
DPS Whitefield presented a shadowplay, keeping the theme “Mythology” in mind, based on the story of Ganesha and his Kartikeya to portray Suskaraan or Good Values.
The puppets used by the grade 4-5 students of DPS Whitefield were intricately pierced and decorated, devoid of colour to suit the shadowplay. The amount of detail in them was remarkable and successfully allowed the light to pass through in a compatible manner. The participants had strong inflection in their voices and spoke clearly and their innovative idea and execution made the event a success
Animime-Meenakshi Pradeep
Actions speak louder than words. When words have failed to move people to action regarding the conservation of animals, it’s time we turned to gestures.
In this competition, 1st graders were asked to express their thoughts and ideas towards the preservation of fauna using only gestures, expressions and movements. The skilful participants left the audience in rapture even without using any words.
Even though each team was only given 3-4 minutes to perform, they delivered their messages beautifully. Unfortunately, not everyone could be declared winners and therefore after much contemplation, the judges made the choice of declaring Vydehi School of Excellence first prize winners. Freedom International School took home second place.
Goonj (Street Play)-Meenakshi Pradeep
Dramas are a great way to spread a message to a larger audience. It is a more effective form of communication because it propagates messages in an interesting manner. Street plays are nothing but dramas with strong socially relatable problems. Volksfiesta never takes a back seat when it comes to showcasing talents, especially when it is a blend of talent and an awakening voice. With this year’s theme of sustainability, we give you ‘Goonj ’
The event saw lots of participation from various schools whose 5th and 6th graders were eager to raise awareness about today’s harsh realities. Both Hindi and English was used in these enlightening performances.
Vydehi School of Excellence bagged first and Euro School was first runners up.
To the Beat- Rachel Elengical
The hip hop style dance competition of Volksfiesta, ‘To the Beat’ enthralled the judges and the audience from the moment it started. Participants from middle school were allowed to dance in teams to English songs for a total of four minutes, with appropriate costumes.
Each school delivered dances that were unique and thrilling in its own way to the viewers. Each performance brought about a different feeling into the viewers, showcasing their own personalities and expression. Their movements were fluid and according to the rhythm.
The winning team, Oakridge International, followed by Ekya ITPL, had everyone captured immediately as the dancers put on an exciting and creative show for them. They used the stage and choreographed their moves in an innovative manner and had brilliant coordination with one another, using a skill set that only experienced dancers possess.
‘To the Beat’ was one of the most invigorating events in the fest and was a beautiful display for everyone to see.
Senior school Events:
Hawk’s Eye-Devanshi Choudhary
Hawk’s eye, a platform for budding entrepreneurs to showcase their novel business ideas, started on a promising note with 11 participants signing up for the competition. Right from the first participant, the audience was deeply engaged.
Most of the plans had a social or environmental outlook, ranging from a chip technology fitted in traffic signals to identify oncoming ambulances, to edible spoons to decrease garbage. There were several other creations, like an app that compares rates of treatments in different hospitals and another system to control the consumption and prices of petrol,electricity and water.
What stood out the most, however, was a simple cattle rearing business. The students of CMR PU came up with the idea to make pure buffalo milk available to all at a cheaper rate, aiming to eliminate the mix of cow and buffalo milk. It portrayed that the competition demanded a simple, but extremely useful, product and not an overly complicated creation. Another product designed by the students of Ekya, who came second, which caught the interest of the audience, was a shoe with a battery that converts body pressure to electricity and can be used to charge various devices.
The event, despite being purely about business, turned out to be interesting for all audiences. The participants’ creations spoke volumes about the awareness that they harbor and it was truly a delight to both the audience and the judges. The innovative business models have left us in no doubt that the future of Indian economy is in safe hands.
Reflections-Shyam Rahul
Reflections, the photography event, was a relatively new competition in Volksfiesta, but was just as interesting as the others. Students had to shoot pictures according to the themes given on the spot which were ‘Shiny Happy people’, ‘Green power’, ‘Focus’ and‘Make it count’. The students had to make a choice of any three among the four and had to explain the picture that they took. The deliberate vagueness in the topics allowed for the students to put in their own interpretation.
They had time from 9:30 to 11:30 to take photographs within the school boundaries without disturbing the events. Between 11:30 to 12:15 photos were submitted. After that, the judges listened to the students’ interpretation and analyzed the photographs. The participants had many ideas. Their photos clearly carried the varied, but personal, interpretations of the photographers.
The event went swimmingly despite being one of the events with maximum participants. The winner emerged from CMR PU, having brilliant photos for the topics‘Green Power’, ‘Shiny Happy People’ and ‘Make it Count’.
In the end, Reflections provided an opportunity for the many participants to showcase their photography skills and their view on the scenes captured through their cameras.
Rap Battle-Prithvi Prakash
One of the most exclusive events in the whole of Volksfiesta was the Rap Battle, ‘So You Think You Can Rap.’There were two rounds, the first of which the participant was given a topic and thirty minutes to prepare their verses. The second was the final face-off between the two selected finalists.
Being an unusual, but exciting event, the audience cheered on the participants, which motivated them greatly, boosting their confidence. It was an event of energy and vigor, and pumped up everyone viewing the display. The audience were also kept entertained by beatboxers and singers from the audience while the judges decided the winners.
After several invigorating performances, enjoyed by both the judges and the audience alike, the winner emerged from Vydehi School of Excellence, with DPS Whitefield coming in second place.
On the whole, this event was a unique experience for both the participants, the judges and the audience.
Beyond The Sound-Anubhab Sett
A competition of any kind always offers a platform to showcase talent, and plenty of talent was showcased in the event ‘Beyond theSound’ –a showdownbetween different schools’ bands.Hours of effort was put in by both,the volunteers and teachers, and sure enough, the event was a success.
Several bands participated in the event, each bringing to the table their own unique skills. Some had fantastic showmanship,while othersdisplayed harmony very well, however, all the teams had gifted musicians. Each performance was a sight to behold, and was enjoyed by both the audience and other competitors as well.
The winners, who were the students of Gopalan International, however,gave us a performance to be remembered, and were also commended by our prestigious judges for their efforts and skill.
‘Beyond The Sound’ presented an opportunity for participating schools to not only display their musical skills, but to work together as a band, and was smoothly run and well executed, leaving the audience mesmerised and wanting for more.
Runway Stance-MSL Sanjana
Runway Stance, the fashion show for the senior school grades, was an event which showcased confidence and innovative takes on the theme- fashion trends from the 1960s to 1990s. There were a total of three schools which participated and none of them failed to impress.
The first school to take the stage was Ekya, the students portraying the peak fashion styles from the era of New Hollywood, taking inspiration from movies such as Breakfast At Tiffany’s, Cleopatra and many more. They took inspiration from the iconic outfits of Audrey Hepburn, James Bond and even of the characters from the famous musical, Grease.
DPS Whitefield chose to take the traditional route and represented fashion from the popular Bollywood movies, taking actors such as Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol as inspiration, which was evident by the colourful sarees, clunky jewellery and the collared shirts.
But the one school which managed to enrapture everyone in the audience was CMR PU. The group illustrated outfits from the 1950s and 1960s, including the high heels, long coats and skirts, with the outfits accented by belts with subtle colours due to the usage of warm tones.
All in all, the event was a success and the hard work put in by all the schools and its participants were clearly evident. CMR PU and Ekya took the first and second place respectively, but all the teams expressed the themes beautifully and crafted a truly memorable event.
Big Picture-Meenakshi Pradeep
Drawing is looking, and there is no better way to learn to see and understand the world around us. Drawing has the power to deepen comprehension and transform perception. It helps say so much using little to no words at all.
In this event for senior school students, budding Picassos were asked to present their interpretation of the socially relevant topic on a chart using several artistic media. (A sentence or two about the topic)
Christel House returned satisfied after winning first prize and CMR PU took home second place.
Sports
Basketball-MSL Sanjana
One of the three main sporting events in Volksfiesta 2k17 was Basketball. Numerous schools and their students, girls and boys, enthusiastically participated in this team event which took place over two gruelling days.
The teams showcased incredible coordination, not only with the team members but also the ball, and the passes were quick and smooth, just like the baskets. While some teams had good offense strategies, others excelled in defence. The matches were fast paced andeach and every basket was calculated and precise. Though a player or two faced painful injuries, their confidence and determination never wavered.
St. Joseph’s PU College took home the winning trophy by emerging victorious in the finals with Deens Academy, with a score of 39-28. The winner of the girls’ matches was Brigade school who won in the finals against Deens Academy. The hard work, dedication and immense practice put in by all the teams was evident, as they left the event with the aim of working even harder and making their schools proud in future competitions.
Athletics-Rachel Elengical
One of the biggest events in Volksfiesta among the sports events was athletics.
The event itself had sub-categories of events in it, like the running events, from 100metre races to relay races, and other events like shot put, which was a display of technique and strength, and long jump, which portrayed the participants’ ability to jump as far as they could.
Overall, it was an inspiring set of events to watch as the teammates and teachers of the talented athletes motivated each other constantly throughout each event. The participants themselves showcased speed, agility and finesse and they raced through each event without ever giving up.
The overall trophy, however, went to Vidyashilp . They were the ones to portray their abilities of not only physical power, but also teamwork and determination.
Athletics was an event that both the audience and the athletes enjoyed thoroughly. It showcased the participants’ will to perform along with their amazing skill in a sport that built connections between athletes from different schools.