Rydal Penrhos pupils enjoyed a Diwali Dance Workshop and took part in a special Forest School activity to mark the occasion.

There was a big surprise for Rydal Penrhos pupils recently when they got the chance to find out more about and participate in a series of activities relating to a prominent festival held across the globe.

Diwali is the five-day Festival of Lights, celebrated by millions of Hindus, Sikhs and Jains, which for some also coincides with the harvest and is a festival of new beginnings and the triumph of good over evil and light over darkness.

On Wednesday 17 November, West End in Schools held a dance workshop at the Prep site for all the pupils from Year 1 up to Year 6 and centred on the theme of Diwali.

The workshop covered the Hindu story of The Ramayana, which is the story behind the festival of Diwali. 

It began with warm-ups and activities which involved steps and movements to represent characters in The Ramayana. The final dance retold this important story, starting with group freeze-frames of different scenes followed by traditional dance moves and culminating with Rydal Penrhos pupils depicting fireworks with movement.

By retelling the story through dance, the pupils developed their knowledge of the background to the festival of Diwali. They also widened their understanding of a different culture and developed Religious Studies skills of respect and empathy. 

The workshop supported the RS topic “Light and Dark” currently being undertaken by Year 3 pupils.

All the classes had briefly covered the story of Rama and Sita in their RS lessons and learnt about how Diwali is celebrated in recognition of the festival being held at the beginning of November. 

In readiness for the workshop, pupils also took part in a Diwali-themed activity within Rydal Penrhos’ incredible Forest School site with Mrs Jude Pyves.

This saw them work in groups, using materials across the forest to create Rangoli colours that resulted in some eye-catching creations from the school’s eager learners in an outdoor setting.

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