YOUNG people from schools across the borough came together to present an English language version of a traditional Hindu tale last Saturday at the Harrow Arts Centre.

The Academy of South Indian Arts (ASIA) and the Pali Peacocks Dance Company teamed up to present "Kubera meets Ganesha", the story of how the elephant-headed god Ganesha humbled the pride of the boastful god of wealth. The 41-strong cast included pupils of Whitefriars, Weald, Marlborough, Belmont and Newton Farm Schools, as well as some with special needs from Shaftesbury High School. The show was such a success that many of the headteachers want to repeat it at their respective schools and it has been tipped for inclusion in the Harrow Arts festival next year.

The colourful production, directed by Pali Chandra and Lakshmi Samarakoon, incorporated elements of North Indian "Kathak" dancing and South Indian "Bharathanatyam", and was all the more impressive for being performed after only ten rehearsal sessions.

Judith Robinson, former Senior Arts officer with Harrow Council, said: "It was wonderful. The children did really well and presented the piece beautifully."

An audience member whose daughter was in the show said: "The children were all marvellous and looked to be enjoying doing the show. The idea of using English as a medium of expression does help children fully appreciate the content of the show. I also believe that it does help with their performance. Using sanskrit or other Indian languages for the script does handicap children who were brought up in the UK."

ASIA is a registered charity based in Harrow which has specialised in classical Indian dance since its formation in 1991, while Pali Peacocks are a voluntary arts organisation with a branch in India. For more information on ASIA call 020 8866 7704 or e-mail asia@asiaarts.co.uk.