Spring Recital 2018
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SDA's Spring 2018 Recital was an amazing showcase of our students' hard work and talent. Words cannot describe our pride and pleasure at seeing our students' rock the stage. To have an audience of close to 250 attendees give our students their undivided attention for over one and a half hours was a sight to behold. The audience members' whistles and applause reminded us of being in a theatre in India watching Bollywood cinema with its gorgeous costumes and foot-tapping music. Our theme for the recital was Festivals of India showcasing festivals from all the different regions of India. Our performers, all dressed up in their finery, gave the audience stellar performances, each one well deserving of the applause that it received.
Our show started with a guitar solo by one of our beloved Junior Squad members, Sunay R. Our wonderful emcee, Syra B. kept the show on track and the entertained the audience with her witty jokes and colorful commentary.
Performed by one of PS37 groups, our welcome number Swag se Swagat featured Hip Hop based choreography and set the tone for the evening with its bold and energetic moves.
Our youngest students from PS37 performed Selfie Le Le, an adorable number that had everyone foot tapping to the kids' moves in true Bollywood style. Kanha So Ja, our classical Kathak based delight for the evening, was beautifully performed by our PAW students who have come into their own over their year of training with us. We could not be more proud of their achievements. Enacting the Dahi Handi ceremony, the Go Go Govinda performers from Primary Prep brought true masala moves to the stage with their beaming smiles and mini solos.
Morya Mix choreography, with influences of Bharatnatyam and Laavni (Marathi) dance forms, was enacted to perfection by one group of our students from PS16. Lungi Dance with its surprise Muquabla act showcased a fun choreography mixed with break dancing solos. Our PS5 kids, though far apart in age, took it upon themselves to work seamlessly together as a team and bring their best to the stage. Our retro act by PS16 kids, Jai Jai Shiv Shankar wowed the audience with the adorable disco moves and the 80's glam outfits.
A balance of grace and flair, the Ghoomar song choreography was beautifully executed by our SDA ladies. Steeped in sentiments of Indian culture and camaraderie, Des Rangila was a patriotic number highlighting the various cultures of India itself. This song was performed by our PAW students whose timing and moves were impeccable for kids so young.
Our Junior Squad showcased the evolution of Holi festival in Indian cinema. The iconic Bollywood songs performed by them were followed by a solo piece by Aaliya S. to a more modern number. Our older PAW students performed a Holi number sung in Awadhi language to highlight the cross cultural reach of this festival of color.
With the Gujarati Mix, our PS37 students reproduced the splendor of the kite and Navratri festivals of India. Dressed in beautiful lehengas, the students seamlessly recreated the magic of these festivals on our stage. Boasting the largest number of performers, the Aaj ki Party number performed by our PS5 students was one of the most cohesive and well coordinated dances of the night. These rockstars enthralled the audience with their energetic moves, bold steps and cartwheels to put a fantastic spin on the festival of Eid. The gorgeous young ladies from PS5 regaled audiences with a graceful performance to Dola Re, one of the most well known dance tracks in Indian cinema. The young ladies easily impressed the audience with their flawless execution of the complex dance steps.
Our SDA Squad always brings their best to the stage and their stellar acts marked the finale of our Spring Recital. Our SDA Squad Ladies led by our newest team member, Kavita Babaria provided the spicy factor (the BollyMasala element) by dancing to the Punjabi hits of the year. Our Junior Squad with their foray into Salsa based Senorita number scorched the stage with their spunk, energy and playful chemistry while delivering a fabulous end to this memorable evening.
We are really proud of all of our performers and their hard work. We are thankful to our all guests specially Ms. Bebe Harry, Ms. Mamta Singh and Councilman James Solomon for applauding and encouraging our performers to do their best on stage. A big thank you to our wonderful sponsor Zawper, who generously provided treats for each performer as a job well done.
The stunning costumes created by Sketchboard4Kids added the extra flair to all the acts and shone brightly on stage. We want to thank all of our students and their families for their faith in us. We want to recognize and thank our schools PS5, PS16 and PS37, and Primary Prep for making us a part of their school families. A special thank you to Performing Arts Workshop and the Jersey City Board of Education for all their support. We couldn't have done this show without the support and encouragement from all of our families and patrons. We look forward to seeing you at our Winter Recital!