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Editorial

After a hectic start of the year, this month will be quieter, both culturally and in terms of rehabilitation of the Alliance as our library has been devastated by Hurricane Thane. After sorting the dried books, and after washing and repainting the walls, the library will re-open on 15^th February. We are working to replace the damaged books and DVDs. I thank the members who came to help us and put things in order at the library.

Cleaning has continued and we should give a hats-off to our administrative and technical team who worked tirelessly to get our facility ready, while continuing to offer many cultural activities of quality. The Pongal festival has won accolades and is a true success with nearly 1400 participants.

We will continue this February with a great Indian singer, who has performed for the largest audiences in India and Europe. She will give us a recital that will not leave you indifferent. Come and be enchanted by the haunting melodies of the artist, Parvathy Baul.

We also welcome the composer Marc Vella who will make us travel around the film and will shed light into the emotions that music creates when it is shared by people of different cultures. A month dedicated to the music, because Ciném'Alliance offers an original programming with musical films.

As for the visual and plastic arts, discover "Eye for an eye", a beautiful exhibition by the association “Chemins d’enfances”. And do not miss Anaka’s workshops, which will make you work in harmony, on small plexiglass paintings.

We also welcome Céline Pradeu, a French dancer as a resident artist who will propose a dance on her next show “hybrid”. At the Alliance, she thinks about performing Bharatanatyam and contemporary dance. On 2^nd March, she will offer a dance lecture which will be continued at the different Alliances Françaises in India.

The language center is no shortage of activities. The team of teachers, accompanied by the interns, is refining their teaching skills and proposes theater workshops with “10 mots de la francophonie” in preparation for the “fête de la francophonie” to be held in March.

The competition for the best student in 2011 is launched. Entries are on until the 28^th February! A two-week stay in France is offered to the winner...

New courses are introduced: a course in business French will commence in hotel “Villa Shanti” in their premises along with one of our teachers, so that employees can receive customers in French.

A professional French course for students seeking to work in French will be started too. Selected students will receive a scholarship from the Alliance Française and the job hunting agency Navayuga, to finance a part of their school fees.

We are working on updating our Web site and should be able to offer you this month a new interface more user friendly and interactive. In the meantime, follow an actuality on our Facebook page: Alliance française de Pondichéry.