This alliterative, onomatopoeic phrase was the title of the cultural show staged by the students of Stafford International School, Colombo 7, in the Bishop’s College Auditorium on Saturday 27 September. Former Principal, Mrs Noreen Welikala, was chief guest.

Give it to kids to cleverly exhibit their skills and talent and while looking lovely and precise in all movements and melodic in song, to convey an impression of being modest and eager to give of their best to enthrall their audience.

The hour and a half long program included drumming, song, dance and drama. Right through it was a polished performance that entertained while creating admiration in the audience. The choir sang the school song which was followed by a very dexterous ten minutes of drumming on the tammattang bere with a bamboo like smaller drum attached. Sachin Parthalingam drummed while another young man accompanied him with cymbals and yet another heralded and ended the drumming with conch shell blowing. It was no surprise to be told that the drummer, Sachin, had won a gold medal in the drums category at the Sri Lanka Festival for the Performing Arts sponsored by the British High Commission. He also won the All Island award in the music category. The one but the final item on the program was also drumming which had on stage six others with drums of various sorts and two seated on the raised dais, one making music with the kale and the other with a Tamil drum. They were very skilled and brought forth music under the leadership of Sachin.. Once in a while the drums seemed to be in conversation with each other, even hinting at argument.

Four dance items titled Fusion, Hindustan Dance, Folk Dance – game` asiriya and Indian Dance were very good. Fusion - ‘Modern fused with the traditional’ had six senior girls executing traditional Kandyan and Indian dance steps mixed with ballet-like western dance movements. The costumes were remarkable: off-white tight leggings draped over dhoti style with yards of diaphanous shine-tinted organza in shades of beige deepening to brown. In Hindustan Dance three curvaceous beauties swung their hips in true Bollywood style, but while the Bollywood dances we see in films and TV are erotic and sometimes too energetic, the Hindustan Dance was just grace and skill. The costumes covered the girls’ midriffs and that itself conveyed the message that we watch the skill of the dancers, not interpret movements as exhibitionism. The folk dance went to town with colour in sharp contrast to the two other dance items. Younger girls in red, green and yellow half saris vigorously danced with scythes and kullas to depict paddy growing and harvesting. Younger ones again had a ball on stage dancing to the tune of Krishna on his flute, with a so-alike boy-god enjoying watching Radha and her maids.

I missed a pure western dance. This was echoed by those who sat beside me. We had all seen previous concerts by Stafford International School where students gave remarkable demonstrations of modern western dance. Pity that an international cultural show missed out on this aspect. Why ever not a performance of modern western ballet movements in this fusion of cultures concert? If the local scene was the object of exposition, then at least a kaffringa dance could have been included. There’s plenty talent in the school for even this genre of dance and western ballet.

The junior and senior choirs each sang a medley of modern songs. The national anthem sung at the end of the concert was excellent. Not only did the senior choir seem inspired under the guidance of choir leader Shamistha de Silva, but they also gave it a novel rendition.

The Jubilee by Anton Chekov was acted well with excellent costumes and make-up. This performance had also won an award at the Sri Lanka Festival of Arts. Humour with a generous helping of slapstick was how a financial entrepreneur celebrated an anniversary of his bank’s business. The banker cleverly used the highs and lows of his voice to good effect. His walk ludicrously fitted the nature of the character he played. Slapstick was however, broadened out, much to the delight of the balcony-seated school children but to the slight discomfort of the more discerning adult. It never really is easy to transpose to stage a Chekov play though the simple dialogue and limited action seem to indicate it is easy. A humorous play must never over-reach itself in squeezing out every ounce of humour. Even in broad humour or slapstick a shade of restraint is needed.

The comperes - Umar Abusalam and Shamistha de Silva - were competent and kept up the revue-like speed of the concert. Their introductions to program items were meant to be conversational but unfortunately, reading from a clipboard decimated the informal effect. One cannot conversationally request a louder round of applause nor informally introduce the next item with the script in hand and read off. I wish the two had memorized their introductions, reminding themselves of the next bit of chat while an act was being performed. That, with no reading from scripts, would have ensured spontaneity. They were easily capable of just speaking out the introductions.