An amazing day of song and dance

We gain so many things by taking part in song and dance.

Taking part helps us to learn to work together and be part of a wider community; it trains our memories as we learn words and dance routines; it helps us to develop and mature intellectually and emotionally as we experience the feelings that others have captured in the words they have written or routines they have designed and it gives us insight into our own and others’ cultural heritage.

 

It does not matter that we may not completely understand the words in each others’ songs or that we usually dance to different rhythms and beats. However diverse our beginnings, the sounds of the words and music we hear have the powerful but simple capacity to bring us together. Different countries, diverse beginnings, but one world.

Above all, singing and dancing can give us joy. When so many individual lives are hard and there are so many troubles world wide, the sense of well being that we gain from song and dance is enormous.

Joy cannot be under-rated.
 
On November 2^nd Darjeeling Children’s Trust held its own joyful occasion. Children and young people from the 14 schools which the Trust supports in one way or another, all the sponsored children and 25 young people from the Kripasaran Orphanages came together to celebrate in song and dance.

The hall at Southfield College was at capacity – and more – and support was both vocal and hugely enthusiastic. It was a wonderful occasion. Below are some pictures of the event, which show the colour, vibrancy and variety of the day.