Georgetown School’s Mash Competitions to hit creative pitch today

Feb 11, 2010 News

Mash Georgetown school’s style

(By Mondale Smith)

The Georgetown Education District’s Children’s Mashramani competition will today take on a more colourful tone when scores compete in the costumes category for the chance to represent the Capital city in the national competition and expectations are high.
Yesterday, day three of the Georgetown qualifiers, was one of maximum dance displays and minimal masquerades prancing on the National Cultural Centre’s stage as the youths took the entertainment spotlight.
Obviously some were well prepared for the task of serious competition, others were not and it showed. Yet others were simply out to have a good time in keeping with the Mashramani festive mood.
The audience was at its capacity with various school ambassadors who were not afraid to shout and scream in wild abandon when their school was announced to perform.
Noticeable was that apparently many of societies ills have impacted on the youths of the Georgetown education district and they brought them to the fore in their presentations that took some on an emotional roller coaster that moved between mostly laughter to reality check and at times to watering eyes.
Performing onstage for top honours were students aged 8 to10 in dance categories.
In the end some were on target with costumes to complement their messages but others were way off and bordered on cheap.
Over all, the showcases ranged from drug abuse and its consequences, inspiration and messages of faith and holding on despite the many social issues but above them all was the apparent growing presence of mentally ill who are known for much craziness and getting ‘mad.’
There were also a plethora of presentations of depicting the antics of jumbies and goons galore.
So large was the support to the event than many of the youths who bought tickets were turned away.
From a field of 22 entrants in the age 8 to10 category the stars were St Margaret’s Primary which took the top spot for Legends and Traditions with their Tribes Dance followed by the top spot in the interpretive category by creating the ‘Mash Fever’ and crowned their winning ways with the winners trophy for offering ‘a light to the world’ in the religious belief category.
St Pius Primary with their social commentary dubbed Changing Times managed to secure one first place in the age group category.
The afternoon session featured the more matured teens aged 14-17. The competition was at its highest offering messages of Repentance, Fighting temptation, memoirs of a junkie among others.
The star of the religious belief individual section is Shaquila Hollingsworth of Tutorial High But East Ruimveldt Secondary was the one to beat as Jamaal Thornhill presented the truth to life ‘Memoirs of a junkie.’
Daysha Pestana of St Joseph’s High school claimed the interpretive sections top spot for offering a true ‘Celebration.’
In the group dance presentations Christ Church Secondary’s social commentary that emphatically showcased why vultures should ‘leave the young girls alone.’ North Georgetown Secondary out shone all other competitors in the Legends and Traditions section for their delivery of ‘Ancestral Echoes.’
The national children’s Mashramani competitions are set for staging for the period February 17-19 at the National Cultural Centre.