The ants are back!

With message of community harmony

When Kumbi Kathawa (Ant Story), the ballet from the Chitrasena Kalayathanaya, premiered in 2007, it attracted packed-audiences and received rave reviews.

Scenes from Kumbi Kathawa. Pictures by Alefiya Akbarally and Luxman Nadaraja

The themes portrayed in the ballet working for the good of the community, perseverance through adversity, courage in the face of danger, and ultimately compassion and forgiveness are universal in nature and resonated with audiences of all ages. These themes take on greater significance in 2009 as we come together as a nation to begin anew.

Theatre and the arts can play a significant role in capturing the imagination of people to work towards a common good. At its heart Kumbi Kathawa is a simple story about a colony of ants that live in harmony, sharing the workload and resources of the community.

Their tranquil lives are shattered one day when an evil force, a mosquito, that arrives and terrorizes the ants, chasing them all away. The ballet follows the story of one ant family as they seek a new home to rebuild their lives.

The family does so successfully, and to celebrate, host a party in their new home (a giant tin) to which they invite a multitude of creatures from the insect world.

When the party-goers are threatened by a sudden flood, the quick thinking ants float their tin and proceed to rescue many of their insect friends. The final creature they save is the very mosquito who wrought misery on their lives!

When the ballet first opened in 2007, it became yet another classic from the Chitrasena Kalayathanaya because all aspects of the production had been honed to perfection.

Reviewers were effusive in their praise for the acting and choreography, the costumes, the music, and even the lighting. The historical standards of the Kalayathanaya, creativity of classics such as Karadiya and Kinkini Kolama, had been maintained, and even surpassed, some might say. The creation of Kumbi Kathawa is an interesting story in and of itself, with some key messages for all those involved in the performing arts.

The story was conceived by Anjalika, daughter of Chitrasena and Vajira, who was inspired by a Russian children's novel. She first did a mini-production with children at a Montessori she worked at.

Then she started experimenting with small scenes in her classes at the Kalayathanaya. At that time classes were being held in a small garage space, and it was here that the ballet began to take shape. The production came into fruition only once the school moved into its new home at Elvitigala Mawatha, literally providing her with the creative space to complete the process.

Through it all Anjalika was ably assisted by her daughter Heshma and Mahesh, a senior student of the school, who utilized his design skills to create the fabulous costumes and props.

This entire process, from conception to production, took five long years! Some of the time taken was because of the dearth of proper facilities to work in, but it is refreshing to know that they did not rush the creative process, and let it take its natural course, resulting in a production of the highest quality.

Having invented the medium of Sinhala Ballet (where dance was used to convey a story for the first time), Chitrasena, Vajira, and their students have created many acclaimed performances that are now part of our cultural heritage. The Kalayathanaya is proud to be restaging its acclaimed children's ballet, Kumbi Kathava (Ant Story), August 28, 29 and 30, 2009 at the Bishop's College Auditorium.

The ballet is brought to life through superb choreography and dance-drama that the Chitrasena Kalayathanaya is renowned for. Reviewers of the original ballet also commented on the world-class costumes and lighting when the ballet was first staged to packed audiences. Now the Ants are back! Kumbi Kathawa is being restaged towards the end of August, providing those who missed it the first time, and those who want to see it again.

This is an opportunity to enjoy the wonderful production. As children and adults get drawn in by the magic that is Kumbi Kathawa, they may also absorb some important life lessons. Who could ask for more?

Kumbi Kathawa will be staged at the Bishop's College auditorium from August 28 to 30. Show times are 8 pm, and two shows each on Saturday and Sunday at 5.30 pm and 8 pm. Tickets are available at the Chitrasena Kalayathanaya, 590 Elvitigala Mawatha, Colombo 5 (next to Apollo Hospital).

..................................

<< Artscope Main Page