Talent wins prizes

It was all about working as a team to put the best show on stage at the American College of Dubai's Spring Fiesta 2008. Maysam Ali should know. She was there

Students rushing in and out of classrooms, adding the last accessories to their costumes and putting on the final touches to their make-up; going through the beats and moves of their dance number one final time and bucking each other up … coordinators trying to pump up their teams' confidence and at the same time calm them down … organisers rushing from one spot to the next to ensure everything goes according to plan . . . students and parents hurrying in through the gates: this was how the classrooms of the American College of Dubai (ACD) looked like on the day of the Spring Fiesta 2008 held last week.

The fiesta, an inter-college talent competition organised by the ACD Student Council, saw teams from 11 schools and 11 colleges competing in Western and Eastern dance, singing, poster-making and an awareness walk by university students displaying varied cultures from around the world.

The dance category had a retro theme this year.
Special needs students shine

The event started with a performance by students from the Special Needs Family (SNF) Group.

Backstage, Hima Rosemary from the SNF stood in front of a mirror, practising her dance moves again and again before her turn to perform. After the dance was over, she returned backstage with a big smile on her face.

"That was a great performance," she said. "We danced as a group and we have been practising for a long time."

Eleven other children joined her for the performance. Safia Bari, director of the SNF Children's Development Centre, said it is important to make the children independent and self-confident.

"They all feel very happy to be participating."
Mohammad Sadik, a 20-year-old special needs student from Bangladesh, said: "I was part of the dance group.

I really enjoyed it. I trained at home and I hope to win." His friends at SNF, Prianka Khanna and Munib Ali, were equally excited about their participation. Khanna took part in singing while Ali said he enjoyed dancing the most because it is fun and easy.

High school students

"Guys relax, smile… don't get scared; we are going to do great," said Pooja Devi, a grade 11 student from Our Own English High School, to her colleagues.

In the opposite classroom Udita Khai, a grade 12 student from Abu Dhabi Indian School, was pinning flowers onto her dress and helping her friends pin glittering accessories to their outfits.

"They are showing the crowd a unique European dance," said their trainer and choreographer Cyrilla Sebastian.

"They are performing the Greek spring dance honouring the Greek goddess Demetre."

While most members of the team were understandably nervous before going on stage, they seemed to share Negin Mahaboob's excitement at participating in the fiesta. She said: "I feel ecstatic being part of this great event — I feel prepared and confident."

Helping each other

Competing in the Eastern dance category were the Dubai Scholars, the Gulf Indian High School, the Indian High School and the Abu Dhabi Indian School. The schools also competed in the Western category along side Our Own English High School, which won first place. Abu Dhabi Indian School came first in the Eastern category.

Mona Sharma, dean of Student Services, said that by involving high school students with university students, the college wants to encourage them to mix and help each other.

"More than 800 students are participating. It is an opportunity for them to show their talents to other students in both schools and universities," she said.

University students
As the light faded and night fell, and the crowds became bigger, the university students took to the stage. Among the categories were Eastern and Western dance, and an awareness walk in which students paraded as couples dressed up in bridal costumes of various nationalities.

Some universities such Skyline College, Sharjah, chose a wide array of nationalities, whereas others chose to stick to the traditional Eastern cultures.

While the crowds cheered the performers on stage, the performance was actually the team effort of so many more students working behind the scenes. Some had helped with the organisation and choreography, while others did the costume design and research — all vital elements to help put the final act together.

Mallika Sharma, an international business student at Skyline College, and Osman Nagar of the University of Wollongong, Dubai (UOWD), were two such unsung heroes.

Most teams had been preparing for a couple of months for the fiesta. "A professional choreographer taught us the Western moves," said Rejoy John of the American College of Dubai.

"It took us two weeks to practice," said Kutbuddin Ali Akbar from Manipal University Dubai, a participant in the Eastern dance category. "The students themselves choreographed the dances."

Shafia Nasir of Skyline College took part in the awareness walk. "I feel it's a unique experience because it's about participating in a team, paying attention to detail, including expressions and interaction with groups, etc."

Mary Miranda, marketing student at UOWD, said that the event is a great experience because it strengthens one's skills in handling tension and coordinating different tasks. While Shefnaz Abootty, electronics and communication major at BIT, Ranchi, Ras Al Khaimah, danced to Eastern songs and hoped to win a prize in the competition.

The competitions went on past midnight. To celebrate the end of the fiesta, popular Pakistani singer Imran Khan sang some of his hit songs, as a delighted crowd danced the night away.