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Dancing his way to a record
Rahul Shetty scripts history by choreographing the largest number of roller skaters in Belagavi.
Bengaluru :
Choreographing a dance routine for 270 roller skaters with just 10-12 days of planning for a 14-minute song is no easy feat. But on Thursday, Rahul Shetty, a Mumbai-based choreographer, was recognised by the Guinness Book of World Records for accomplishing this feat.
The event itself took place in 2015, at the Shiv Ganga Roller Skating Club in Belagavi and also bagged a record in Guinness Book of World Records that year. When he was putting the event together five years ago, the thought of a world record hadn’t crossed his mind. “I never expected this. When I was in school, my parents had got me this big fat Guinness Book of World Records which had fancy illustrations and real pictures of record holders. I always used to wonder if I could ever have my name in that book,” says the Street Dance 3D choreographer.
Although he was born in Mumbai, his roots are in Mangaluru. Dance shows that a young Shetty put together for the Bunt community, to which he belongs, served as a launch pad for his journey in dance. He recalls that his father, who is from Mulki (25km from Mangaluru), used to encourage him to serve Karnataka, the land of his cultural roots. “My parents are proud that I have been able to contribute laurels to my motherland. This, after a bag of opportunities presented itself in B-town and exposed me to some of the finest choreographers and actors in Mumbai,” says the 30-year-old.
Shetty had to overcome multiple challenges to make the 2015 show a success. “We had to get to the fundamentals of dance moves. Moreover, we had to train participants of varying age groups. From hand movements to body posturing, a lot of things had to be in sync for all 270 roller skaters. I also collaborated with Sandeep Kinekar, a local choreographer, and Nikhil Chandaka, a skater who helped in orchestrating the show,” says Shetty. When the pandemic crisis eases and Covid restrictions are relaxed in Maharashtra, Shetty will begin work on projects he has signed up for.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Bengaluru / by Express News Service / May 03rd, 2021
Math maker of Bengaluru uses out-of-the-box methods
Mahesha M, who quit his corporate career to teach maths, makes the subject easy for young students with his innovative pedagogical methods.
“The only way to learn mathematics is to do mathematics,” said the mathematician Paul Halmos. Mahesha M of Prajna Mathematics at Hebbal in Bengaluru lets his students do this, but with his out-of-the-box methodologies.
Whether it is the touch-and-feel method for teaching geometry or origami to drive home the concepts of algebra or even ancient folklore to make students get a grip on numbers, Mahesha is always on the look-out for innovative teaching methods.
“I have come across books published way back in 1882 that explain the basics of algebra and its application in real life in a wonderful way. The methods I use today is the result of years of research, experimentation and developing my own materials based on these learnings,” adds the 46-year-old.
In fact, Mahesha has a sack full of tamarind seeds at his centre (marbles are hardly available these days, he says) for younger children to count in order to develop a knack for numbers. “I just ask them to pick out, say, 200 seeds in a given time; it is up to them to find out the fastest method,” quips Mahesha, who also studies how mathematical concepts are taught in schools across Europe and America.
He has bought several such materials which he either modifies or improvises on to suit the needs of his students. This is particularly useful while teaching concepts like fractions, Mahesha says. From mathematical games like the Rubik’s cube to models like the tower of Hanoi and techniques like mental and Vedic maths, Mahesha uses a combination of multiple tools to make maths fun for children.
As a result, he says, his students are easily able to recite tables up to 100 using simple methods like splitting and distributive property. “I developed a love for the subject with Mahesha Sir when I was struggling in school. With his coaching, I completed my MSc in maths and became a maths lecturer. Now I plan to enrol for a PhD in the subject,” says his student Shalini, who now lives in Germany.
Being physically challenged since he was an infant, Mahesha spent his formative years confined indoors. Playing with marbles and counting them in groups of 2,5,10 etc. made him develop a liking for numbers. But it was not until high school that he developed a true love for maths.
Mahesha went on to finish his engineering in computer science and worked for over 15 years in the corporate sector. Teaching, however, remained his first love. “Teaching is something that I truly enjoy. I want students to be aware, think and ask questions,” says Mahesha who has been a full-time teacher since 2017.
With two batches a day, close to 60 students from Class III to X and four other teachers, Mahesha has his hands full. The morning batch of 30 high school students from Hebbal Government School are coached free of cost.
Crippled at the age of two by polio, Mahesha faced issues of mobility and poverty. Therefore, he helps many people struggling with these issues too. “Mahesha’s story is one that needs to be told and his contribution in the academic success of several students, including my son, is invaluable,” says Anitha, a teacher with an international school, and whose son Parikshit is a student of Prajna.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Bengaluru / by Rashmi Gopal Rao / Express News Service / May 02nd, 2021