Graceful, nimble and ageless...

Queen of Lankan Ballet Vajira turns 75 today:

Suharshi Perera

A LIVING LEGEND: We all are creatures of the sea. The ocean, the primordial fountain of life, lives in us all. It gives life to art and artists through the ages have paid homage to the ocean.

The lights go down, the sea roars in the distance and the silhouettes of human figures appear on the dark ‘horizon’. As the lights slowly regain their full luminescence, the ‘seashore’ begins to appear.

Human figures start swinging back and forth gesturing the tedious task of pulling ‘madel’. A woman moves on the stage briskly enthralling the audience with her facial gestures and swift but subtle hand movements.

The protagonist gracefully turns and swirls, flutters and trembles. She transcends cultures, humanity and age. She is the fisherwoman, swan, deer or mermaid. And the audience catches a glimpse of the virtuoso dancer Vajira.

The curtains come down. The loud applause of the audience reverberates, transcending time and space.

The wedding photograph of Vajira and Chitrasena

Vajira performing in Kinkini Kolama

A scene from Karadiya

Vajira’s fine movements, gestures, rhythms and costumes have held audiences spellbound for over six decades.

“I danced for about 60-65 years. I started professional dancing when I was 15,” Vajira recalls.

Vajira, the name which always blends with Chitrasena and Sri Lankan ballet dance tradition marks her 75th birthday today. “I love to be called a teacher than anything else as I started my journey as a teacher and I still am,” the Queen of Ballet remarks with a humble smile on her face.

She first taught children’s ballet under Chitrasena who was at that time creating and experimenting a unique dance form - Oriental Ballet. The new tradition embodied features of the ancient sokari, gammadu and kolam traditions while having the Kandyan dance tradition as the base.

Vajira incorporated her ideas and efforts to carve Chitrasena’s all-time dance masterpiece Karadiya and Naladamayanthi. Her ingenuity and the passion for dance made her the first professional female dancer in the country.

“It was a significant breakthrough then as no women engaged in dancing professionally. I was the first to take up the challenge. Chitra was my guiding star and the pillar of strength.”

Sri Lankan society warmly welcomed the female access to the stage as Chitrasena had already spurred a revolution in Sri Lanka’s dance arena. Despite all his theatrical innovations in the dance form, Vajira is his greatest discovery.

“I’m a pure Sri Lankan product. I never went out of the country to learn dancing. I mastered authentic Sri Lankan traditions,” she says with pride.

She helped Chitrasena on composing and putting everything in order. While playing in Chandali she created Kumuduni. Subsequently, the pageant of Lanka, Himakumariya, Sepalika, Kindurangana (mermaid) and Nirthanjalee came alive in the form of dance drama.

Initially she was not given lead roles. “I played the deer in Ramayanaya in which Chitrasena played Ravana. I was the swan in Naladamayanthi,” she says.

In Chandali she played the lead role for the first time. Out of all dance dramas performed over decades Vajira still craves and ardently recalls the swan in Naladamayanthi.

“I fondly remember the swan as it could fly and was not a human character. That’s why it is my favourite. My figure suited that character well as it had a lot of fluttering movements,” Vajira says. Her upbringing also played a key factor in bringing her success on stage. She was born in Kalutara, where the prominent bo-tree and the dagaba are located.

“The cultural and religious upbringing later penetrated my compositions as well. Most of the stories have a morale behind them. They always propagate peace and harmony and elevate humanity,” she remarks.

Chitrasena and Vajira initially included one song in their ballets but later departed from that and built a unique form by narrating the whole story through gestures and movements.

“There are only certain things you can depict through dance. When choosing a theme it is very important to realise our constraints. That’s how stage craft becomes important in dance drama. Music is vital as it adds to the mood. I believe a good artiste can perform without music. Chitra introduced universal hand gestures to dance drama”.

Vajira has won many awards including Kalabhoosha and Kalasoori. She has travelled in many countries and performed before many distinguished persons.

“He was my inspiration. At times I wanted to show off and challenge. We always had arguments. But he is a great creator and the future generation too will follow his art. That’s my utmost wish,” Vajira comments. Their children and students have already undertaken that noble duty to take the tradition forward.

Vajira is quite dismayed by the televised dances which have emerged recently. “Commercialisation is a symbol of the deterioration of art. I’m proud that my children and students have not fallen into that stream. My granddaughter Heshma is very devoted to preserve the tradition. Her house has become an open dance school for our young dancers, “ she says with gratitude.

The art of dancing is literally not still. It grows and branches out. So are its followers. But it is as ageless as Vajira-Chitrasena and their priceless gift to Sri Lankan art.