Extravaganza from Sri Lanka
RUPA SRIKANTH
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Dance and drums joined in a heady combination as the Chitrasena group took the centrestage.
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Photo: V. Ganesan
COLOURFUL: Upeka
The sounds of the conch and the accompanying chants signalled an auspicious start to `Nrithanjali,' a presentation of the dance and drums of Sri Lanka.
The opening piece was from an ancient ritual, the Kohomba Kankariya, performed to seek the blessings of the deities. And as the silence was broken on the darkened stage, the eerie familiarity of the sounds washed over the audience.
Was this from a different culture? Or was it a reflection of our own? The sense of deja vu persisted all evening, in the resonating percussion and in the graceful movements of the dancers.
Historical links
If one delves deeper, one can find historical links between the two cultures as in the rituals brought in by Indian shamans to Sri Lanka or in the repertoire of Kandyan dance that includes tales from the Ramayana.
There is a sense of history in the styles too especially in the plie stance that is found in Mohiniyattom, the shoulder shakes of Kathakali, the mnemonics and the rhythms of the drummers, et al.
The tableau was teasingly familiar and yet dissimilar because the flavour was entirely native.
The Sri Lankan extravaganza presented by the Music Academy, Chennai, showcased the different dance forms that have been part of their ritualistic culture for thousands of years: the Kandyan dance, the Low Country dance and the Sabaragamuwa from the Midlands.
The accompaniment is mostly percussive, and each region has evolved its own distinctive drum like the Geta Bera, the Yak Bera and the Dawula.
Professional dancers
The mask dance.
Traditionally dancers were from hereditary families, until the first professional dancer Chitrasena arrived on the scene in the 1930s.
He challenged the hitherto male bastion and founded the Chitrasena Dance Company. Together with his wife and ace dancer, Vajira, he re-packaged the repertoire for the proscenium and made the dance forms more accessible.
Today, their talented daughter Upeka heads the ensemble, and continues to travel around the world showcasing Sri Lankan culture.
The group along with the Ravibandu Drum Ensemble, this time, was on their way back from New Delhi after performing at the 14th SAARC Summit.
Amalgam of styles
`Nrithanjali' included a dramatic mask dance, the Naga Raksha, the fleet-footed sword dance, the Asipatha, the amalgam of the three styles in Thridhara, the most skilful Kandyan dance, the Ves, the whirling court-jester like dancer in the Low Country dance, Thelme, and the Dance of the Eagle, the Ukussa Vannama.
Well co-ordinated as a group, and deeply involved as individual dancers, the men and women are between the ages of 19 and 55. They were: Upeka, Priyanga, Mathotage, Geeth, Mahesh, Umi, Venuri and Thaji.
The drummers, Ravibandu, Susantha, Prasanna, Priyanga and Jith were no less impressive.
The drum fiesta in Bahu Ranga and the foot-tapping finale were their most memorable.
The recreation of the customary bamboo backdrop, albeit in a two-dimensional outline added authenticity. But what would have added value was a little explanation prefacing each item.
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