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| Thursday, 22 July 2004 |
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How a dancer relates to her choreographer The World of Arts by Gwen Herat
Relatively a dancer has no option but to submit herself to the creative experiments of her choreographer especially if she is not an established ballerina. It may be weeks and perhaps months before a consensus is reached. She will in the process influence him with her performing ability as well as with her personality. At the end this will have an overall impact not only on the ballet but with her partner as well. The choreographer in his final conception will be influenced to a great degree by her virtuosity. They may amount to shortcomings and failures or her virtues revealed during the creative process. This does not conclude the fact that she is an instrument but a very humane medium through which the choreographer attempts to project his visions but he must be aware that she is not perfect and not least a dancer until she is perfected. Therefore she is the living, versatile mould who comes under the care of the choreographer as he starts to work on a new ballet. The dancer and the dance as we call ballerina and ballet are evolved in a method of creativity. Its serious and dedicated labour and unlike a singer or an actor, the dancer cannot be given a score or script to learn before she begins her rehearsing. It is an arduous process because all she can do is copy or carry out to the best of her ability the dictates by the choreographer. Where scores are concerned, she must possess a great deal of musicality. As she gains experience and confidence, the choreographer will permit her to interpret a step the way she thinks best while offering her own suggestions for improvements or further steps or even a new approach. A perfect relationship between the dancer and her choreographer will permit his approval for her to dance her own steps that will finally be incorporated to the ballet. This relationship will no doubt affect the resulting ballet and their very close relationship will ultimately contribute an indistinguishable partnership. A fine example to quote is the partnership of Sir Fredrick Ashton and Margot Fonteyn, the two great crafters of ballet. Yet some choreographers are very precise and often very autocratic about what they want from a dancer to do or not to do during the course of a ballet's creation. But the smarter choreographer will often offer his dance a sketchy description of what he exactly wants from her and encourage her to create the steps. This type of confidence generated into her system will no doubt boost her moral and bring out the best of her where he will improve on them. When Rudolph Nureyev choreographed Romeo and Juliet, he allowed Margot Fonteyn to create most of her steps. While surprisingly a number of choreographers adopt this method, it undoubtedly creates more interest and confidence in dancers because they feel they are on equal terms with choreographers. They get the feel of collaborating. So they come to terms of being creative as opposed to purely interpreting choreographic innovations. Thus great relationships are built and ballet become richer and firmer and the future more lucrative for young hopefuls perched on their wings. What is unique is the fact that technicality nor syllabus are never tampered with either by the dancer or the choreographer. British choreographer, Kenneth MacMillan said, "I explain a lot because I feel that the dancer should collaborate. I do not think the dancers should just be lump of clay. I think that what they give ballet is almost is important as the painter, musician or choreographer. What I like to do really is to start the ballet without any explanations and let them get the feel of the movement and then, sort of halfway through the ballet, I get into great detail as to why they are doing those things.' Basically dancers are made to move and from this movement the eventual ballet is built and developed. However during this process many of the steps and movements will be rejected by choreographers and substituted with new steps and possible outcome may result the next day everything that was created twenty hours before, being discarded and replaced by totally new steps. Many ballerinas are used to this situation and do not feel their steps and movements have been rejected. And from this building and tearing apart, there has evolved some of ballet's most enduring works of classism. So much for the idea that ballets are improvised and a sense of fulfilment in the dancers. Giselle for example. Pulimood oration of Visakha Vidyalaya by Sumana Saparamadu It was the journalists' 'Awards Night', the annual presentation of "Journalism Awards of Excellence," by the Editors' Guild of Sri Lanka. The presentation over, journalists of various vintages were moving around meeting friends and old colleagues and catching upon news. I made my way through the crowd to meet the chief guest at this year's celebration Mammen Matthew, Editor and Managing Director of India's largest circulating newspaper Malayala Manorama. From Kerala's vast readership and high rate of literacy, our conversation veered to the Christian population in Kerala." I am myself a Christian," said Matthew. "A Syrian Christian ". "Yes, you know about the Syrian Christians?" I told him that the revered principal of the school I studied at, Mrs. Pulmood was a Syrian Christian. The name had barely escaped my lips, when the rejoinder came. "You have a Pulimood oration,". I was bowled over. "How did you come to know about the oration?" What a stupid question. Journalists read not only their national newspapers. I was pleased no end. The very thought that the Pulimood Oration was known to people of eminence on the other side of the Palk Strait was indeed gratifying. The Oration is in honour of a far-seeing educationist Susan George Polimood, who gave over 25 of the best years of her life to the country which she came to call her own, 22 of which was to Visakha as her principal. I remember another occasion at a resort hotel in the South. In our company was Mr. Balachandran - Bala to his friends - the Hindustan Times correspondent in Sri Lanka. I cannot remember how the conversation veered to schools and education, but I do remember, the moment Mrs. Pulimood's name was mentioned, Bala saying, "She is a legend can't I meet her?". By then Mrs. Pulimood was dead, almost five years. Merely to mention the name Pulimood is to bring to mind "The Textbook of Botany". Just the other day when I handed in the press release about the oration, to the Observer, the Deputy Editor's rejoinder was,". The textbook of Botany. I learned all about the dispersal of seeds." Pulimood and Joshua piped in another. Authored by the two sisters Susan Pulimood and anna Joshua "The Text-book of Botany," was the standard text used in schools until the complete switch over to the Sinhala Tamil medium. It continued to be used as a reference book for botanical and local names for plant. The Principal of Visakha Vidyalaya, Rupa Amarasinghe, had herself used this "Textbook", and the school's librarian are looking for a "good" copy to replace the much thumbed old copy - the only copy in the school library. Would some one who has a copy but is of no use any longer, be willing to present it to the school library? Susan George Pulimood and Ana Joshua were two among the many graduates from South India, teaching in schools in Colombo and in the out stations, in the 30s and 40s, even into the 50s. Mrs. Pulimood joined the staff of Visakha Vidyalaya in 1941 and taught Botany and Maths in the higher forms. Came the war, the closing of schools in Colombo and the opening of branch schools far from the capital and Mrs. Pulimood found herself in the salubrious hills of Bandarawela. After Principal Motwani came down to Colombo to re-open the school Mrs. Pulimood was in charge of the school in Bandarawela. When Mrs. Clara Motwani resigned the Board of Trustees that managed the school appointed Mrs. Pulimood acting principal in 1945 and Principal in 1946. Her stewardship - 1946-67 - were indeed the Golden Years of Visakha, when as N.E. Weerasooria Q.C. wrote in the school's Swarana Jayanthi souvenir "parents stood in queues to get their children into Visakha". They still do and many also resort to various ruses to prove their residence within the 2-mile radius. It was the introduction of science into the curriculum early in 1946 that gave Visakha the momentum to rise to the top from B Grade to A Grade to Super Grade. In 1949, the first student from Visakha, 17-year-old Clodagh de Silva, entered the Science Faculty of the University, one of 8 girls to enrol for science that year. Clodagh remembers the occasional trips with Mrs. Pulimood to hunt for rare plants, how they "rose to dizzy heights of ecstasy watching the carnivorous pitcher plant trap its prey". The Swarna Jayanthi, the week-long carnival and exhibition at the old Race Course, to celebrate the school's 50th anniversary was the culmination of Mrs. Pulimood's stewardship at Visakha. The proceeds thereof formed the nucleus of a fund to build an assembly hall, an ambition Mrs. Pulimood could not fulfil. The task was left to and completed by her successor Mrs. Hema Jayasingha and the hall named after the school's founder Mrs. Jeramias Dias, was opened by President J.R. Jayewardene in October 1983, which was the last occasion Mrs. Pulimood visited her beloved Visakha. Mrs. Pulimood passed away at her home in Madras on 12 April 1989, and her grateful pupils decided to have an annual oration to perpetuate her memory and pay tribute to her long and unique service to Visakha. A Trust was formed to collect funds and organize the oration. Each year the Susan George Pulimood Education Trust awards two scholarships to two A-Level students in the arts/commerce and science streams, with outstanding academic achievements. As in all the previous years, this year's oration, the 14th, will be by a past pupil of Visakha who has distinguished herself in her chosen field. Mrs. Anoja Wijesekera (Nee Jinadasa) a second generation Viskhian, and the School captain in 1961, will deliver the oration this year. She is currently the head of the UNICEF office in Bhutan, and earlier in Afghanistan during the Taliban regime. The theme of her oration is "The Forgotten Children of the World". As per usual the oration is on July 23rd, the birth anniversary of Mrs. Pulimood. 'Extreme Entertainers' takes you to the extremes Theatre buffs, prepare yourselves for a superb variety of fantastic timeless songs and dance moves like no other. Extreme Studio's first production "Extreme Entertainers" will go on the boards at the Bishop's College Auditorium from July 27-30.
The musical selection ranges from the 1930's to 1980s. With selections from artists such as ABBA, Queen and John Miles. Among the songs chosen for the evening are, 'Bye bye black bird' and Steam Heat'. Also the fabulous track of 'Music was my first love' which incidentally was a winner of the Eurovision song contest. The dancers ranging from 10-19 are all young members of Shannon's school of dance, Extreme Stuido. Shannon who has a Performing Arts Degree, will also be performing the best of tap dancing. Dance styles for the evening range from contemporary tap to street jazz also known as hip hop and Boradway jazz. Adding further flavour to the programme the second half will be a dedication to Bob Fosse. Why Bob Fosse? "Because he is my idol," says Shannon. Bob Fosse has been credited with inventing his own style of dance for Broadway. He has written and choreographed musicals such as Chicago, Pyjamma Game and co-written Cabare. The ensemble of singers comprise five girls and four guys. Some have never been on stage before so it will be a treat to hear fresh talent. But among the well known voices are that of Eshantha De Andrado, Manoj Singanayagam, Alan Outschoon and of course Shannon Raymond. This is Shannon's 25th year in theatre. And the show is also in appreciation of "Jerome, Steve, Michelle, Richard, Nilufer and all who have helped me over the years" said Shannon. Its been a along time since his previous shows Andrew Lloyd Webber in 1994 and Lullably of Broadway in 1995. Both shows were a huge success with all shows being sold out before opening night. Box office opens on July 17 at Bishops College Auditorium. Producer of Extreme Entertainers in Dinesha Raymond Sounds and lights for the show will be handled by Jerry Jayasinghe. Main sponsor of Extreme Entertainers is Sifani Jewellers and Co sponsor is Labels - Alfa Orient Lanka. Ratnavibushana at NETPAC Jury Ashley Ratnavibushana, the Founder and the President of the Asian Film Centre affiliated to Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema (NETPAC) has left for New Delhi to participate at the NETPAC Jury at sixth Cinefan International Film Festival as the Chairperson. He was elected to the Board of Management of the NETPAC at the General Assembly held in Pusan, South Korea in 2002. Also he has been selected as the Jury Coordinator for NETPAC until the next General Assembly which will be held in 2005. He is the President of the Sri Lanka Federation of Film Societies affiliated to International Federation of Film Societies (IFFS), participated at the International Film Festival held at Reggio Calabria organized by IFFS and the General Assembly of IFFS recently. The Cinefan Film Festival is one of the leading international film festivals in India organized by Cinemaya and is supported by the Government of Delhi and Connoisseurs of Art Private Limited. Ashley has participated in several international film festivals in Asia, Europe and States and served in the International Federation of Film Critics' (Fipresci) juries and NETPAC juries such as Tokyo, Berlin, London, Rotterdam, Locarno, Milan, Fribourg, Mannheim/Heidelberg, Taiwan, Mumbai, Singapore, Pusan, Hawaii and Gotebord. He is an employee of the People's Bank since 1972. |
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