Husband-wife duo promote traditional dance
 

by K. A. Perera

Theatre has become an inherent part of humanity and it is the oldest form of entertainment even before language was invented. Today theatre is considered the most refined way of entertainment.

Mewanapalana is supposed to be one of the remote villages in Raigam Korale which produced some of the well-known dancers in the past.

Ratna Sri Ranga Cultural Institute of Mewanapalana, Horana has entertained the public at national and popular cultural festivals in Raigam Korale for several years by transforming many an epic into ballet.

S. A. Gamini Ratnasiri of Mewanapalana who retired from the Sri Lanka Army musical troupe and D. A. Tilaka Dematagoda, the dance instructor at Mewanapalana Maha Vidyalaya, a husband-wife team are the pioneers of the Ratna Sri Cultural Ranga Institute at Mewanapalana Horana.

In an interview with the Artiscope Gamini Ratnasiri said he received his early education in law-country and up-country dancing from Karunaratna Hettiarachchi, Sedaraman, a Kala-guru of Handapangoda and Yatawature Abeysingha, was the guru of law-country dance.

His wife, Tilaka too has dedicated her life even from childhood for the development of culture and dancing and she received her training in dancing from Karunaratna Hettiarachchi and the dancing instructor of Sri Sivali Vidyalaya D. Shantha and achieved excellence in Udarata and Sabaragamuwa art of dancing and entertained the public by her performance.

‘Ratna Sri Cultural Institute trains students in the village sector in up-country-dancing, low-country, and Sabaragamuwa rural dance for several years and their dancing performances are graceful and carry the good name of the cultural institute.

In an interview with the Artscope, Ratnasiri said there were four ways of learning dancing: by watching, listening, through practice and by improving inborn talents.

These four ways of learning are very important to achieve excellence in the art of dancing.

The students of Ratna Sri Cultural Institute have won several prizes in the All Island Cultural Dancing Competitions held in Colombo and brought international fame to Sri Lanka.

He also said the traditional dancing is gradually fading away but his aim was to preserve our cultural dances and drumming.

Ratnasiri is proud of his village of Mewanapalana and his two daughters.

S. A. Ranitha Kalpani studies at Visakha Vidyalaya in Colombo and the youngest daughter Ausadhi was following the footsteps of her father and mother and wants to be a professional dancer.

The greatest source of encouragement to him had been given by his life partner, Thilaka without - whom a show is not complete, he says.

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