It's all for the kids

CINEMA: Munchee Samaga Punchi Tharaka 2007

Following the success of Munchee Samaga Punchi Tharaka 2006, the mega children's song and dance festival brought together by the National Film Corporation (NFC) and Ceylon Biscuits limited (CBL), plans have been made to include students from school islandwide for the 2007 event.

This highly successful event organised to educate school going younger generation to appreciate Sri Lankan cinema and film music will showcase talents of students from Museaus College, Visakha College, Devi Balika, Mahanama College, Sirimavo Bandaranayake College, Ananda College, Dharmapala College-Pannipitiya, D.S. Senanayake College (Colombo district), Kirindiwela Central (Gampaha), Panadura Balika (Kalutara), Ananda Balika (Polonnaruwa), Swarnapali Balika and Anuradhapura Central (Anuradhapura), Pushpadana Balika and Dharmaraja College (Kandy), Mahanama Jathika Pasala (Moneragala), Badulla Central (Badulla), Pinawella Central (Kegalle), Pelmadulla Dharmaloka College (Rathnapura), Maliyadeva Balika and Maliyadeva College (Kurunegala).

Munchee Samaga Punchi Tharaka 2006 will be staged at the BMICH on October 1 at 6.30 p.m. and half of the fund will be donated to the Sisu Daru Kala Aramudala initiated through this programme.

International children's film festival 2007

In collaboration with the Ministry of Power and Energy and the Cinema Media Unit the NFC will hold the annual Children's Film Festival in the New Imperial theatre, Ratnapura, from October 1 to 5.

Power and Energy Minister, W. A. J. Seneviratne, Cultural Affairs Minister, Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena and chairman of the National Film Corporation, Asoka Serasinghe will grace the occasion. The following films will be screened free of charge for children.

October 1 - Ran Kevita (Sri Lanka) 10 a.m.
October 2 - Heda-Hoda and 'Hide-N-Seek' (India) - 8 a.m. and 10 a.m.
October 3 Atal Matal Tootoole and 'The Father' (Iran) - 8 a.m. and 10 a.m.
October 4 'The Story Of Little Mook' and 'Emile and Detectives' (Germany) - 8 a.m. and 10.a.m.
October 5 - 'In Desert and wilderness' (Poland) - 8. a.m. and Qurbani (Pakistan) - 10 a.m.

Films screened free of charge for Children's day

The NFC will screen a host of children's movies such as Sooriya Arana, Iresma, Arumosam Vehi, 'Spiderman III', 'Pin Pong', 'Hi Baby Hi' and Jim Pappa at 12 cinemas islandwide for children.

These movies will be shown free of charge at Contrast (Dalugama), Chithra (Kalutara), Masha (Panadura), N.I.T. (Kurunegala), New Cinema (Mathara), Wijendra (Anuradhapura), Jayanthi (Polonnaruwa), Rathnavali (JaEla), Sagara (Halawatha), Seetha (Pilimathalawa), Raja (Jaffna), Shanthi (Batticaloa) and Wasanthi (Vavuniya).

Driven by passion

Michelle Tay

"Dance doyenne Neila Satyalingam has gone through much hardship in life, but her passion for her art keeps her vivacious and strong."

Flecks of gold, cyan, red and green glint in the afternoon light in the office of Apsaras Arts Limited, an Indian dance company in the Telok Ayer Performing Arts Centre in Cecil Street, Singapore. They come from an intricate necklace hanging from the neck of Neila Sathyalingam, 69, a woman who wears many hats.

She is Apsaras' founder and creative director, one of four dance choreographers at People's Association Talents, an arts adviser to the National Arts Council and a 1989 Cultural Medallion winner. Indian classical dance maestra Neila Sathyalingam is now focused on teaching the art.

Kavitha Krishnan, 35, creative director of Apsara Asia performing arts company who had studied dance under Neila since the age of six, says: "What drives her is her passion for the arts and for dance itself, which she sees as something beautiful to connect people.

She has never complained about too much time or too little money and is a pillar of strength."

Last week Neila staged her last mega-production, an Indian epic dance drama called 'Sivagami', performed by 65 dancers from India and Apsaras, at the Victoria Theatre.

She hopes to "slow down" as age, she says, is catching up with her. That means just teaching - no more choreographing epic dramas, designing costumes and other strenuous work.

"There is really no such thing called a swan song," she adds, "and I won't like to keep still after being so active."

Hardship

Like her dance, Neila's life has been full of colour. She has had bittersweet struggles, which she recounts with matter-of-factness and resignation.

She had her home in Sri Lanka gutted by fire, lost her father to a heart attack and her elder sister to thyroid problems, and raised a mentally- and physically-disabled son for 44 years.

About her son's condition, she admits: "For five years, I just could not come to terms with it. My father died of a heart attack one year later because of my son - he couldn't take it."

It started out picture-perfect though.

Born in 1938 in British colony Ceylon - as Sri Lanka was known as before 1972 - she was the second of four daughters of a prominent dental surgeonand lived in the lap of luxury. At her family's sprawling colonial mansion, she and her sisters each had a servant.

She started dancing at age five. At age 13, she came in first in the All-Ceylon Dance Festival, and was elected to dance before Queen Elizabeth II when Sri Lanka gained its independence.

At 18, she enrolled in Kalakshetra in Chennai (formerly Madras), one of India's most reputable arts schools.

There, she lived in a thatched house with "snakes above and rats running below" and led a regimented lifestyle, waking up at 4.30am for practice every day. The gifted dancer finished her five-year course in just two years.

She met her husband, Sathyalingam Suntharalingam, now 78, at Kalakshetra. The son of a Sri Lankan politician, he taught music there - classical Indian music theory, the Indian drum and cymbals.

After a two-year courtship, they married in 1956 and moved into a 40ha farm just outside Colombo. She taught dance at schools while raising her daughters, the first of whom was born in 1957. Then everything started to go downhill.

In 1958, at the height of the racial riots between the Sinhalese and the Tamils, 80 Sinhalese rioters burnt their house to the ground. They weretipped off before the attack and managed to escape but lost all their possessions. They then rebuilt their lives with their three daughters in Colombo.

In 1963, Neila gave birth to a son, Skanda. He was her family's first male heir in three generations.

When he was six months old, he caught encephalitis, an acute inflammation ofthe brain commonly caused by a viral infection. She took him to London for treatment, but his mental and physical development stopped there.

"Honestly, I don't know how I've come this far with a child like that. As far as the doctors are concerned, he's a medical miracle. They expected him to die at 20," she says matter-of-factly.

In 1974, the family moved to Singapore. Uniroyal Chemicals, the American chemicals company where Sathyalingam worked as area sales manager, posted him here. Neila became a Singapore citizen in 1994.

She is upset that Indian dance - and other ethnic dances for that matter - do not get the same standing as more contemporary or modern genres of dance. On the one hand, she finds the measly pay an insult to her culture's art form; on the other, she has found it immensely satisfying to nurture "artistes, not mass numbers of children who learn dance as a hobby and then vanish".

Meanwhile, the jolly dancer, who enjoys cooking, sewing and homemaking, aims to enjoy her semi-retirement in the comfort of her home, with her family.

"I don't want great things. Mundane things make me very happy, like if someone sends me flowers," she says. As for dance, "I will keep dancing as long as my body will say yes to me".

For someone who claims "I sleep dance, I eat dance, I breathe dance", she sure walks the talk.

You leave feeling this is a woman who has overcome and achieved so much in her life, yet, you still want, somehow, to help her but she will have none of it.

"My sister lives like a Hollywood star in a palatial house in London. That's her destiny, God gave her that. I'm not asking for that," she says with a smile.

The Straits Times Singapore/ Asia News Network

From school to public stage: Union Neth Hamuwa

AESTHETIC COMPETITION: It was an evening vibrant with talent, music, song and dance as students representing schools from districts islandwide took to the stage at 'Union Neth Hamuwa', the all island aesthetic competition and cultural show, Pasalen Karaliyata.

The event compromising folk dance, songs, music and announcing is organised by Union Assurance in collaboration with the Ministry of Education is a search for hidden talent in school children and to foster the development of local dance and music.

The competition was held from March 15 to August 15 with 26, 112 participants from over 19 districts. Around 6, 200 children were chosen from the total number to represent their school in the national competition held on September 8 and 9.

The programme concluded with a national cultural show held at the Maharagama Youth Centre on September 19 graced by the top officials from the Ministry of Education and senior management from Union Assurance.

Not only do the winners of Pasalen Karaliyata received awards for their achievement but they also received the prominence which makes way for them to attain future employment and other opportunities. Their schools were given cash awards.

Apart from this social service project, Union Assurance also plans to create societies in participating schools to continue to enhance cultural and aesthetic activities among their students.

****

Winners of Pasalen Karaliyata

COLOMBO CHAOS: Members from the Ranwala Balakaya provide entertainment CAPTIVATING RHYTHEMS: Shantha Mariya Maha Vidulhala, Gampaha BACK TO THE PARAKUMBA PERIOD: Students of Anuradhapura Madhya Maha Vidyalaya, Anuradhapur, who won first place in Folk Songs (Mix) MELODIOUS TUNES: Students of Maliyadewa Balika Vidyalaya, Kurunegala, who achieved first place in Folk songs (Female)

Folk Dance (Mix)

First place - Kirindiwela Madya Maha Vidyalaya, Kirindiwela
Second place - Jayakodi Maha Vidyalaya, Ganemulla
Third place - Senanayake Madhya Maha Vidyalaya, Madampe

Folk Dance (Male)

First place - Sri Chandrananda Bauddha Vidyalaya, Kandy
Second place - Western\Kalutara Rajakeeya Viduhala, Panadura
Third place - Keppitipola Maha Vidyalaya, Gampaha

Folk Dance (Female)

First place - Sripura Madhya Maha Vidyalaya, Sripura
Second place - Sangamiththa Balika Maha Vidyalaya, Galle
Third place - Rathnavalee Balika Maha Vidyalaya, Gampaha

Folk Songs (Mix)

First place - Anuradhapura Madhya Maha Vidyalaya, Anuradhapura
Second place - Sudarshana Maha vidyalaya, Maspota
Third place - Thakshila Maha Vidyalaya, Gampaha

Folk songs (Male)

First place - Shantha Mariya Maha Vidulhala, Gampaha
Second place - Udawela Madhya Maha Vidyalaya
Third place - Gampaha Bandaranayake Vidyalaya, Gampaha

Folk songs (Female)

First place - Maliyadewa Balika Vidyalaya, Kurunegala
Second place - Warakagoda Maha Vidyalaya, Horana
Third place - Agamathi Balika, Panadura

Announcing

First place - Sajith Bhadraji Alankara of Rajakeeya College, Panadura
Second place - Pabasari Koliyabandara of Mahamaya Girls' College, Kandy
Third place - Surani Sachintha Munaweers of Rathnavalee Balika Maha Vidyalaya, Gampaha

Experience the healing touch of ancient medicine

TELEDRAMA: Jayantha Chandrasiri's newest teledrama, Satara Denek Senpathiyo will unspool on Rupavahini on Saturdays at 8.30 p.m. from October 29. The introductory programme was telecast last Saturday.

The storyline of the tele series is based on the ancient forms of traditional medicine in Sri Lanka. It is a legend brought before the present viewers to analyse and enjoy the extraordinary wisdom possessed by our ancestors.

In the backdrop of the period of King Buddhadasa (360 A.D.), there lived a Mahavedana (head doctor) named 'Sona'. With his wife 'Dalabiso' and his Suluvedanas (helpers) 'Mahali' and 'Gaya' he was engaged in an exceptional treatment technique under the strict supervision of the king.

Meanwhile, a hard-core thief named 'Data' who had wooed Dalabiso since her prime of youth kidnaps her. This saga turns the lives of all those involved into turmoil and creates a base for an unending samsaric chase. All the four characters are reborn in the contemporary society.

They are engaged in a strenuous attempt to fulfil their incomplete obligations facing conflicts created by the extensive samsaric customs as well as the current socio-economic catastrophes.

Their revolutionary therapies without the use of drugs raise a great commotion throughout the entire country and lands beyond. In other words, you have got to see it to believe it.

Credits

Written and directed by Jayantha Chadrasiri

Presented by Ruoo Cinema Creation House

Produced by Ruwan Jayasingha

Starring

Sriyantha Mendis
Yashoda Wimaladharma
Mahendra Perera
Roshan Pilapitiya
Jackson Anthony (Guest appearance)
Buddhika Jayarathne
Buddhadasa Withanachchi
Rebecca Nirmalee
Dulika Marapana
Kusum Renu
Anusha Damayanthi
Wasantha Vittachchi
Upatissa Balasuriya
Gamini Jayalath
Dimuthu Chinthaka
Sanath Chandrasekera
Athula Jayasuriya
Senaka Titus
Udeni Chandrasiri
Chithra Vakista

Camera

Ruwan Costa

Make-up

Wasantha Vittachchi

Music

Maestro Premasiri Kemadasa

Background songs

Nelu Adikari
Samantha Perera
Amarasiri Peiris
Sangeeth Wickramasinghe