KOCHI: Unhealthy competition has taken a backseat at the School Kalotsavam being held in the district, thanks to the stipulations in the revised manual for conducting the festival.

The mad rush for dance events, which often triggered controversies in the past, has come down considerably following the Government decision to do away with the Kalapratibha and Kalatilakom titles.

The revised manual stipulates that there should be no first, second and third prizes for any event.

Instead, the contestants' performance will be graded A, B and C.

Those scoring 75 points and above will get an A.

If there is more than one student winning an A, one who scores the highest number of points will be selected to compete in the State Kalotsavam.

Cut in cost

The revised manual has also helped cut the cost of staging dance events.

At the Higher Secondary School Kalotsavam being held at Muvattupuzha, parents said that they could save at least Rs.20,000 on the cost of staging a Bharatanatyam performance compared to last year.

One reason was the manual's stipulation that audiocassettes or CDs should be used in place of live accompaniment. Parents have also saved on the travel and accommodation expenses of percussionists.

The use of CDs and audiocassettes helped in reducing the time required for staging dance events. Delay in staging of events had been a major problem in past festivals.

According to the organisers, 15 to 20 minutes that was required for live accompaniment to get ready could now be saved following the use of CDs and cassettes. A participant now spends about Rs.10,000 for recording a CD in a studio. Students can use these CDs and cassettes in next year's competition.

Literary events

Literary events reported a record turnout this year, as several students and parents opted out of arts and dance events. About 90 students participated in the Malayalam recitation competition at the Higher Secondary Kalotsavam.

Forty students participated in the English recitation and 32 in the Hindi section. More than 55 students participated in the Malayalam essay-writing competition. Pencil drawing event also drew a good crowd of competitors, around 70.

Confusion prevails

The revised manual created confusion among the organisers after parents and students spotted some missing points. Nangiarkoothu, a regular event, was not included in the new manual.

The organisers drew a blank when participants pointed out that live accompaniment could not be used for skit according to the new manual. But it was allowed for other stage events like drama and mime. The Education Department authorities said this would be sorted out soon.

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