RE Cross Curricular Project With Dance.

In order to help students understand Hindu worship, Monisha Bharadwaj, a professional dancer and tutor from the Wise Moves agency came into Commonweal School recently to deliver some interesting workshops.

Hindu’s worship through dance and during the hour long sessions, which were staged throughout the day, all of Year 7 had the opportunity to participate in some of these religious dances. Monisha explained about the symbolism and how and when the dances are performed.The students learnt moves from her and then split in to two groups to showcase their work to one another.  The session ended with a questions and answer forum.

“The lady made shapes with her hands in the dance, one was a flower. These stories help tell the story of the gods which makes it easier to remember. India is a very big country with lots of different cultures and religions,” Alan Eyles, age 11.

 The students are currently studying this religion in their RE lessons and it was a fantastic opportunity to bring this aspect of the curriculum to life

“ This way of working is a fine example of how Performing Arts  and Community Cohesion can add value across the curriculum. We are always looking at new ways to further students understanding of other cultures in a positive, educational  and fun way,” commented Keith Defter, Head of Commonweal School.

In RE students study  a variety of ways in which people worship  and other topics have included  Islamic art and Indian dance.