24 Gems students appear for ISTD exams in Kathak
dubai — 24 students of Gems Modern Academy appeared for their ISTD (Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing), UK certification exam in Kathak on April 5. The ISTD is one of the world’s leading dance examination boards. Gems Modern Academy is the first school in the region to be holding ISTD Examination for classical dance forms.
Kathak was introduced at Modern two years ago in association with Gurukul, the well-known dance academy. Last academic year, Modern decided to get their students trained for the ISTD examination in the school dance studio itself. Girls from Grade-3 upwards underwent rigorous training under the tutelage of the Gurukul teachers.
Pali Chandra, the world renowned Kathak maestro, visited Modern to give her special blessings to the students. For most of them, this was the very first time they were appearing for an examination in dance.
Sujata Banerjee, one of the most versatile South Asian artists and a leading Kathak exponent in the UK, was the examiner. Mrs Banerjee is a senior examiner and also the chair of the ISTD South Asian faculty. She is a trained sports scientist and delivers performance enhancement workshops for dancers. Results are expected by the end of May.