Bangalore, Dec 16: Never mind that some of the girls have nail polish on their fingers and toes, unlike primitive man. It’s only a rehearsal so they can overlook such lapses. The school girls and some boys too are playing mankind at the dawn of civilisation. As their limbs follow the rhythm from an odd wooden instrument, their gaze follows the movement of their mentor’s hands and lips.
For over two months now, the choreographer has been coaching about thirty students in the movements of a ballet titled ‘Maha Mouna,’ on the theme of human rights. The children range in age from 12 to 18-plus. All of them are current or former students of the R V Integrated School for the Hearing Impaired in Bangalore.
Their show hits the stage at the SSMRV College auditorium at JP Nagar at 10:30 am on December 10, to mark World Disabled Day and Human Rights Day. ‘Maha Mouna’ depicts the early man’s bafflement over natural forces like storms, death and the emergence of the concept of god. “They are showing greater interest today because an outsider is watching,” says their choreographer at the rehearsal.
Interest apart, one will has put in immense effort to portray a theme through dance using classical mudras, if the person cannot hear the music or the choreographer’s instructions. On stage, they will perform to the music of an accomplished five-member troupe. The boys and girls’ fluid movements at rehearsal indicate that they have been doing exceedingly well. Mime, one could say, comes naturally to them. Besides, their range of talent is not restricted to dance.
“They need not hear because we have encouraged them to try and listen as much as possible. They can follow our lip movement and grasp our instructions,” says a teacher assisting the choreographer in the rehearsal. The lip movement therefore is deliberately exaggerated. “When I speak to them, I avoid gestures.”

Clearly, sign language has no place here, by design. The school insists that the students get used to hearing aids. However, there is little sign of these gadgets as they twirl and sway to the beat of the wooden instrument. Two hours daily for over 60 days, in addition to their routine studies, do the young performers find it strenuous?

“No!” says Yashaswini G Inamdar emphatically. Others around the slim girl raise a chorus in support of her view. Unlike her, others have had little training in classical dance. Yashaswini has learnt Bharatanatyam in Belgaum. Do they like to dance? The chorus of "Yes!" from the young artistes is as resounding as their negative reply to the earlier question. ‘Maha Mouna’ is a result of collaboration of the NMKRV College for Women and Shrusti, a trust engaged in promoting ‘creativity in the child,’ with the school for the hearing impaired. Naturally, Ms Lakshmi Hariharan, founder of Shrusti and Bharatanatyam artiste-choreographer is the driving force behind the ballet.

Assisting her in the arduous and yet joyful task is at least one teacher who has put her heart and soul into the work. Not wishing to claim any credit, she says “the whole teaching staff” of the school for the hearing impaired, is contributing to the effort.
Abundant support has come above all from headmistress S K Padma, who states simply, the students “are good at mime.” She apparently is good at spotting what is good for her wards. With great enthusiasm, she gets a staff member to display the students’ prize-winning paintings in a recent contest.
In many of the paintings, the vibrant colours and brush strokes speak volumes. Lakshmi Hariharan’s words, “We are disabled. We cannot understand silence,” sound apt.