Principal's Desk |
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All life begins. All living things have a moment at which they become "alive." That beginning of life marks the first point on the Circle of Life.
In the words of the title song:-
From the
day we arrive on the planet
And blinking, step into the sun
There’s more to be seen than can ever be seen
More to do than can ever be done
………….
In the
circle of life
It’s the wheel of fortune
It’s the leap of faith
It’s the band of hope
Till we find our place
On the path unwinding
In the circle, the circle of life
In ‘Circle of Life’, the Lion King story is adapted to narrate the epic adventures of a young lion cub named Simba as he struggles to accept the responsibilities of adulthood and his destined role as king.
As daunting as it appeared, the challenge was exciting and stimulating enough to be taken up. For the students to rise to the occasion and deliver at their very best was the least of all the concerns. Maintaining a balance between academics and rehearsals and finding time for such an awe-inspiring project in a day school where most students find it extremely difficult to stay back in school beyond school hours was the most difficult hurdle to overcome. Parents of those children involved were largely cooperative and patient.
Having decided on ‘Circle of Life’, the staff and students embarked on a wonderful journey of experience through song, dance and drama – a journey which was intimidating yet exciting, tiring yet full of energy, at times frustrating yet fruitfully rewarding.
The ‘Circle of Life’ is a perfect marriage of art and entertainment and the experience has been beautiful, enchanting and moving – especially when you see the staff and students coming together in one concerted effort to produce an enthralling, dazzling musical which, I am certain, the audience will long remember and cherish forever.
And as we draw nearer to the curtains being brought down on this magnificent musical extravaganza we hope that the end will continue to turn the ‘wheel of fortune’ in your favour, and with ‘faith, hope and love’ you will all find your place in this wonderful and mysterious “ Circle of Life”.
Mr.Aniket Deb Roy says , “I think that, behind this apparently simple,
powerful story lies a deeper theme, one that dwells on the
inevitability of Circle of Life, of the journey of all mortals on a
‘path unwinding’ scripted for them by a divine hand , a journey
through ‘despair’ and through ‘hope’, through ‘faith’ and through
‘love’, until we find our place in the ‘endless round’.
We realize that a lifetime is not enough to take in everything that is
there to see, to do everything that is there to do .We must , I feel ,
do the best we can , to squeeze out of every moment as much value as
is possible, as we proceed on the
journey of life.
He further says “this theme has always affected me deeply. Indeed it
is one of the mantras that I live by , to live each moment to the
fullest, and it has always stood me in good stead. I have always tried
to pay tribute to it, to infuse my own ideas and perceptions into the
theme and the story, and I am delighted that I have finally got the
opportunity to do so.”
“For the first time ever our school is embarking on such a huge production involving more than 200 students, the actors, the choir and the dancers. I being the coordinator of this choir, am very excited along with all my choir members. It was a tough time selecting only 47 choir members from about 100 -150 talented singers of our school. It was a wonderful experience training the choir under the guidance of the choir master Mr. Biswaraj Bansriar. I wish that the project would be a grand success and would entertain the people of Kolkata”.
Rupa Bhattacharya
“Lion King production
is a unique effort in this part of the country. It is a result of
extensive hard work, patience and enthusiasm. The students of National
Gems Higher Secondary School involved in the production showed immense
dedication, integrity and quality of adaptation in tough situations
and thus inspired thousands of other students in this process.
I am sure they will experience absolute success in their effort and
prove themselves as one of the best in this domain.”
Biswaraj Bansriar
Choral Trainer
“It was a unique experience to be a part of this mammoth event. Selecting the students training them spending time with them on holidays, scolding and laughing along with their silly jokes created a new bond with the students. I hope all our efforts turn into a grand success. ”
Paramita Mitra
Choreography Coordinator
“I had a teaching learning
experience working for the lion king production .The sharing and
caring relationship with the students as well as my colleagues
improved immensely. Many hidden talents were discovered and their
creativity was utilized in the best possible way .In brief I would
like to conclude by saying that I was very fortunate to be a part of
this mammoth production”.
Sarnali
One of the lead actors
Debatma Mondal playing the role of Scar
says “Scar is one of the most challenging characters when it comes to
portraying him on stage especially his villainy , his royal blood line
, his cold bloodedness , slyness are facets that add innumerable
shades to the character. This is a challenge that every actor would
‘live for’. Moreover working with such a talented crew unit including
Mr.Aniket Deb Roy, Mr.Biswaraj Bansriar , Mr. Carlton Kitto , Mrs.
Gitanjali Jolly and the awesome school choir is like an added bonanza.
The ‘Circle of Life’ is one dream come true project .
Slade D’Cruize playing the role of Zazu
and participating for the first time in a musical extravaganza is very
excited and says “support and co-operation from my teachers is helping
me to showcase my talent and making this experience a memorable one”.
Another student Daniella D’Cruize takes
great pride in enacting the role of Junior Nala . She feels a lot of
hard work is being put in to make the play a successful one and says “
I am excited but nervous for the final day”
Sunetra Roy Chowdhury a choir participant
says, “National Gems is organizing such a huge production for the
first time ever for the public of Kolkata. We have been rehearsing for
the last six months .We hope and pray that this show becomes a huge
success such that people cherish its sweet memories long after it is
over .”
Another student Glenda Maria Hall playing
the role of Sarafina says “the very fact of being associated with the
cast and crew of ‘The Lion King’ is like once in a life time
experience for me .”
Wade Calvert playing the role of senior Simba says, “The school
has embarked on an ambitious project for the first time and I take
pride in being a part of it .Through this mega theatre show not only
has my talent received a boost , but I also got a good opportunity to
work with renowned people like Mr.Calton Kitto and Mrs. Geetanjali
Alagh Jolly . This exposure has surely helped in the all-round
development of my personality , making this event unforgettable for
me.”
Arran Calvert confidently enacting the
role of junior Simba feels that the experience of being associated
with this production is one he will remember throughout his life .He
further says” It is an honour to work with such renowned personalities
of Kolkata .I have learnt a lot in this short span of time and made
many new friends .I also had a lot of fun.”
Ankita Thakur playing the role of Nala
with a lot of poise says “I have come to know a lot about myself and
my hidden talents.This experience has given me the confidence to
develop my personality.I will never forget the amount of hard work our
director Mr. Aniket Deb Roy has put in to improve my acting skills
.Thank you, Sir ,for this wonderful experience”
Soumyojyoti Bhattacharya enacting the
role of Pumba says “I am very honoured and excited to be given the
role of Pumba in the play .I am looking forward to my performance in
the show in which I wish to play an enlightenting part and make it a
huge success. I hope people coming to watch will find it very
entertaining ,as they had found the Disney and Broadway versions of
the “Lion King” from which our play is adapted. I earnestly pray for
the success of our production.”
Rhea Arora another student narrates: “Participating in this concert has given a boost to my confidence. It has been a wonderful experience. This event has given me a great exposure and now after the rehearsals I feel all the more confident and my skills have improved a lot and I am very happy to be a part of such a big production”
