Chitrasena reminisced
Part II
He would be a nonagenarian had he been among us today. Born
Amaratunga Arachige Maurice Dias, Chitrasena is internationally known
for his work in establishing a modern Sri Lankan tradition of dance and
popularizing traditional Sri Lankan dance forms worldwide.
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Chitrasena
with fellow artistes in his time |
Chitrasena’s ninetieth birth anniversary fell on January 26. Daily
News Artscope reproduces the account of Chitrasena as laid down in Nrtya
Puja, which was published in 1986 to celebrate 50 years of his
contribution to the country’s art.
Q: As we know your father the late Seebert Dias was a leading
theatrical figure in his day. I reproduce here The Times of Ceylon
article ‘Seebert Dias Comes Back’ dated 18.2.40. “Those who remember
seeing Seebert in both Sinhalese and English plays 20 or 25 years ago
would no doubt welcome the news of his return to the stage. Seebert Dias
is still remembered for his portrayal of Shylock in ‘The Merchant of
Venice’ for the Colombo Dramatic Club and in the title role in ‘Julius
Caesar’ with Wallace Young as Mark Antony. He was for many years
instructor for the Colombo Dramatic Club.
Having spent a holiday, so to say, behind the stage all these years,
helping many a performance to success with his wide knowledge and
experience he will appear at St. Peter’s College, Wellawatte, on Sat,
March 2nd in ‘Sena’, a Sinhalese play by L.L.K. Gunatunga, depicting a
page from the era of Elara.
Besides the prospect of seeing Seebert Dias acting, there is a
stronger reason for patronising this play, for the father’s return is to
aid his son, 19 year old Maurice (Chitrasena) whom a brilliant oriental
dancing career awaits.
Young Dias proposes to go to India to perfect his oriental dance
technique and his well-wishers have launched a fund for the purpose.
Well, what was your father’s role during your formative period as an
artiste?
A:From as far back as I can remember – from early childhood –
the theatreworld played a dominant role in my life. I was born, so to
speak, with the proverbial theatre in my blood. My father was interested
in English classical drama, particularly Shakespeare, for during the
British Colonial period the English educated elite burned incense at the
feet of the great English dramatists and actors like Sir Beer bohm Tree,
Sir George Arliss, Sir Mathesan Lang to name a few. My father created
the Colombo Dramatic Club and also ran the Tower Hall Theatre for a
while, which he had taken on lease, and produced many of John de Silva’s
plays.
He acted in several Shakespearean dramas, as Shylock in The Merchant
of Venice, Romeo and Juliet, Winter’s Tale, As You Like It, Julius
Caesar and so I had a fine theatre background and imbibed a great deal
from my father about the theatre and its discipline which helped mould
the early artiste in me.
His discussions with his wide circle of friends nearly always centred
round the theatre and the finer points of acting and I remember him
often, in the course of conversation, quoting lines from Shakespeare-his
addiction to drama and the theatre was such. With all this he also had a
wide knowledge of the traditional dance forms and the folk-theatre
mediums of Kolam and Sokari. So you see I was fortunate to be nurtured
under the best of both traditions, East and West.
I remember as young boy when I wanted to go to India to study dance
it was my father who insisted that I first master the Kandyan dance
technique. It was also my father’s influence that taught me to express
emotion through the dance medium as there was no precedent in our dance
for rasa and bhava. The art of choreography grew from this necessity.
Our dance falls into Nritta or pure dance as enumerated in the Natya
Shastra, where the dancer does not interpret a mood or emotion, the
dance being a rhythmic accompaniment to the chants in the ritual.
Q: When did you first appear on stage?
A: My first public performance was in 1936 at the Regal
Theatre. I was 15 years old. The ballet was Siri Sangabo produced by my
father in which I danced the main role. In fact Siri Sangabo was the
very first ballet to be produced in Sri Lanka. It was the first time a
story was related through the medium of the dance, no doubt influenced
by Rabindranath Tagore’s visit here in 1934 with his troupe.
Q: Who were your early gurus in the Kandyan dance?
A:My first teacher was Algama Kiriganithaya Gurunnanse. After
my training I lived for about three weeks in the village of Algama
before the traditionl ‘Ves bandime’ ceremony. I stayed with the
principal of the local school. I was housed separately because the
feudal system was very strong then.
After Kiriganithaya Gurunnanse I changed to the late Muddannawe
Appuwa, a veteran dancer from Kandy. While learning under him I once
visited his village in Kadigomuwa to witness an all-night Kohomba
Kankariya. Amongst the dancers was Bevilgamuva Lapaya Gurunnanse, then a
young man, who greatly impressed me.
When Muddannawe Appuwa died, Lapaya Gurunnanse took over and for the
last 30 years he has been with me. To this day he visits me once a week
for a class and I draw a great deal from his vast reservoir of knowledge
and it is Lapaya Gurunnanse who has taught me all there is to know of
the traditional Kohomba Kankariya. I never fail to pay obeisance to him
as my guru.
Q: Can you recall any artisters who might have influenced your
early thinking?
A:There were so many influences that crowded my impressionable
years that I find it difficult to isolate them at random. However,
Rabindranath Tagore’s visit in 1934 with his troupe left an indelible
mark on me. They performed at the Regal Theatre and even as a young boy
of 13 I felt the powerful magnetism of his dynamic personality as he sat
on stage beating time with the talam.
I sensed a spiritual affinity with his life and works and the perfect
synthesis he embodied in himself-artiste, poet, philosopher,
visionary-were a tremendous guiding force. A sort of cultural
renaissance began with Tagore’s visit here and Sri Palee at Horana was
modelled after his Shantiniketan. It was not until 1945 that I had my
cherished dream fulfilled by being sent to Shanthiniketan to study. Of
course Tagore was no more then, but his spirit still lived.
The University was a sprawling complex set in the 10,000 odd acre
estate of the Tagore family. The buildings were simple wattle and daub
structures bearing striking testimony to the truism of simple living and
high thinking. Students of diverse cultures came together at
Shantiniketan and the years I spent there were a liberating experience.
I was given the signal honour of being chosen to play the leading
role in Chandalika opposite Tagore’s grand daughter Nanditha Kriplani. I
was also amongst a 15 member dance group from Shantiniketan that
performed at the All India Dance Festival in New Delhi.
I performed a solo item which I set in the Kandyan style to a
Tagorean Song. It was a tremendous success. What was unique in the
Tagorean Dance tradition was that we were given freedom to create our
own dance roles.
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