Grand Finale

Well, I did it. It's done and over. Man, am I proud. Today, all of the parents came to Rising Star to pick up their children for holiday break. We held a program for them, in which, Padma came and talked, the choir sang, and ALL of the standards performed a class dance. It was quite the event. I've had some experience putting assemblies together, not a lot, but some. And comparing today to past experiences, I am so grateful for the support that is given by Rising Star. It ran so smoothly and turned out better than I expected. Every teacher was here and asking what they could do for me, the tech guy, Anbu, did everything he could to make the music sound good, and I could not have done it with out Johnson. Johnson is the P.T. sir and he has more respect than anyone else in this school. He could gain control of a space a mile long. Today, just proved again how amazing the staff of Rising Star is.
I have a handfull of videos to share. These kids are just incredibly precious.
Of course, you have UKG performing Good Morning. Bless their hearts. All of the parents, who are usually not paying attention, were standing on chairs to see them. 

And the choir, run by the wonderful Nana Gates, sang amazing primary songs. Including none other than Popcorn Popping on the Mango Tree. But their singing Indians had to be the best.

My personal favorite was 4th standard, dancing to I Wanna Be Like You from Disney's Jungle Book. We watched the movie, this scene in particular, during their class party. They all performed with great enthusiasm, and it couldn't have been done with out Monica. The rest of the class just followed her lead.

Then... as for Life Dance, Diana and I put our brains together and choreographed two pieces. First, Get Ready, featuring Life Dance II.

And... Stand By Me, by Ben E. King. We tried to really focus on partner work, and working together as a team. They are a team and they have become a family. But, they haven't really understood how their love for each other can be shown in their movement. We are both really proud of how both of these dances turned out. Even in a rush. I can't wait to see them once they've been in their bodies a little longer.

Saying goodbye at the end was the hardest part. I didn't start crying until I saw Deepen's face and we just hugged. Then, it was like a whirlwind of goodbyes. Sanjay pulled me over to eat with his family. I passed out last minute goodbye gifts. I laughed and talked with all the amazing staff. I imagine that this was the hard way to say goodbye. I might just imagine that because I don't want to admit that I'm a sob, but... We stood by the gate as each new group of kids got in the van with their parents. Waved goodbye, and that was it. Yet, I'm so happy. I'm so proud. And I feel so much love.