VIDEO: Teachers Surprise Assembly with Diwali Flash Mob
Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, was celebrated at the Lower School assembly on Wednesday, October 26. The assembly included colorful costumes and a story about the holiday, but teachers also had a surprise for students.
Teachers and staff members staged a flash mob-style dance in the Lunchroom, which you can watch here. The dance was choreographed by third-grade associate teachers Caroline Carr and Chelsea Cundiff and Lower School music teacher Lisa Mandelstein.
The three teachers first searched for a song that reflected the holiday's themes and landed on "Prem Ratan Dhan Paayo," which is the title song for a 2015 Bollywood film. The lyrics of the song refer to love and light, with one line saying, "When your color touched me, I became a wonder too."
The trio then researched a variety of Indian dance traditions, developed the moves, and then ran the dance by members of Burke's Indian community "to get their thoughts, input, and blessing," according to Mandelstein. Teachers who were interested in participating learned the dance at several rehearsals in the days leading up to the assembly, ensuring that the surprise for students was ready to go.
After the teachers' dance was complete, students learned some of the moves themselves. Click here to see Burke's girls trying them out for themselves.
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The three teachers first searched for a song that reflected the holiday's themes and landed on "Prem Ratan Dhan Paayo," which is the title song for a 2015 Bollywood film. The lyrics of the song refer to love and light, with one line saying, "When your color touched me, I became a wonder too."
The trio then researched a variety of Indian dance traditions, developed the moves, and then ran the dance by members of Burke's Indian community "to get their thoughts, input, and blessing," according to Mandelstein. Teachers who were interested in participating learned the dance at several rehearsals in the days leading up to the assembly, ensuring that the surprise for students was ready to go.
After the teachers' dance was complete, students learned some of the moves themselves. Click here to see Burke's girls trying them out for themselves.