New England Malayalee Association’s (NEMA) annual talent competition, ‘Drishya’, had a dazzling finale with the vibrant Indian dance competitions held on May 7 at Littleton High School in Littleton, Mass. The finale event for the ambitious multi-day, multi-venue competitions that began on April 17 was attended by over 300 Malayalees and members of other Indian communities from various New England states. Over 170 contestants, comprising of children ages 5 and up, teenagers and adults, participated in various categories that included singing, dancing, speech, painting, poetry and short-story writing.
Originally conceived as a talent show, NEMA switched Drishya’s format to that of an annual competition in 2010, and plans to continue the tradition every year. “We believe that such competitions help kids of our community and the Indian community in general to showcase their talents and also boost a healthy competitive spirit,” says Mary Joseph, NEMA’s PR Coordinator. Joseph points out that although NEMA is an organization for Malayalees in New England, Drishya's singing and dance competitions drew participants from other South and North Indian communities as well. Classical and non-classical items were presented in the singing and dance competitions. Children who participated in the solo classical singing competition impressed the audience with their rendition of well-known Carnatic songs, including those composed by greats such as Thyagaraja and Muthuswami Dikshitar. Dances included solo and group numbers, choreographed by local Indian dance teachers, and presented by artists in colorful and traditional costumes. “It’s an opportunity for our children to learn and to keep our artistic traditions alive,” opined the parent of a participant.
45 winners were announced at the finale, with first place winners to receive trophies, and second place winners to receive medals. The winners will have the added bonus of receiving their prizes from leading South Indian actress Meera Jasmine, during her upcoming show in Shrewsbury on May 27. “As a whole, the program Drishya 2011 was a success and we believe we could achieve what we envisioned when we thought about such a talent show. This would not have been possible without the meticulous planning and execution and teamwork of the NEMA committee,” says Mary Joseph.
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