Dance to perfection
Sandya Bamunuvita is someone who could offer her contribution to the
country’s field of arts filled with immoral objectives. Her teachers are
Miranda Hemalatha, Victor Ratnayaka and K D K Dharmawardana. With the
blessings of these teachers, Sandya could present Hopalu Wanapthe
Kampitha Karawana dance performance.
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Students performing |
“I was born for art. Art is a major part of my life,” said Sandya
Bamunuvita, now a veteran Bharatha Natyam dancer. She is getting to
ready commemorate her 40th dancing anniversary at Bishop College,
Colombo 7, on October 22. This is also the 30th anniversary of her
dancing school Rangaudamashram based in Bambalapitiya. Her show is
titled as Ranga Madura
Bamunuvita is not only an artiste. She is also an executive officer
in a leading company. Ever since childhood Bamunuvita used to practise
Bharatha Natyam under Guru Kamala Jayathilake. In 1971 she held
Arangethram as an upcoming artiste.
She initiated her school of dance in 1981 offering invaluable
opportunities for students. She has held 17 arangethrams, which means
she has produced 17 Bharatha Natyam Artistes to the country.
Meeting Miranda Hemalatha was instrumental in Bamunuvita’s dancing
career. She came forward step by step. Her first dance show was Nurthya
Pushpanjalee. She presented Kandyan dancing, Manipuri and western gypsy
dancing apart from her mainstream Bharatha Natyam.
“Actually up to now nobody can dance like Sandya for this song Hopalu
Wanapetha,” Hemalatha said.
The song was composed in Rag Bhageswari which belongs to both
Hindustan and Karnataka music. When she was a little girl Bamunuvita
paid extraordinary attention to practise athletics and netball. It was a
good path to develop her practical life.
“My father advised me and guided me. I understood all his
expectations. Paying my fully attention to education I did a number of
extracurricular activities too.” Bamunuvita said.
“Back then we paid our full attention to be good dancers. But now
things have changed. Children can find out a lot of things and they can
select so many subjects to study: computer, athletics, music, dancing,
swimming, karate to name a few. Children do not know how to be experts
in a chosen field.”
Sandya opines art is not something saleable. It is one proper path to
communicate something in a superb way. On the other hand it is a good
way to motivate people to see the reality of the world. She has
previously presented Ranga Madura to fund blind people. Ranga Madura
features 12 students of Bamunuvita. |
