The Dance of Life

By Ishara Jayawardane (pics by Sudath Nishantha)

Sri Lanka Foundation Institute (SLFI) will be launching a diploma training programme on the subject of Choreography. Choreography is not merely setting dance for the music. It is a totally cultural and aesthetic presentation on the stage and the choreographer has to know various aspects in the cultural and aesthetic presentation. Choreographers have to do their research before the production and they have to know lighting, make up, costumes and so many other things. The Choreographer should know how to perform in front of the camera as well.

SLFI coming under the purview of the Presidential Secretariat is pleased to present its newest National Diploma in Choreography. This one-year comprehensive course is conducted with the the guidance, assistance and participation of veteran choreographers, dancers, professionals and scholars of the country representing Sinhala, Tamil and contemporary dance traditions to deliver long term benefits to the field of choreography and society.

The objectives of this Diploma is: To constructively inculcate the Art and Science of Choreography, irrespective of various traditions of dancers, in a year long course and create professional choreographers to the local theatres and also use choreography as an initiative tool for reconciliation and social integration.

This national diploma in choreography will be a common platform for young people from different regions and traditions, who want to study the art and science of choreography, focusing on the development of dance culture. Since the choreography diploma course covers all the areas of dance traditions, course participants will also get the opportunity to learn diverse dance cultures and develop respect towards each culture. Director of the Indian Cultural Centre (ICC), Ramachandran has agreed to support this training programme by bringing many experts from India in the cultural field.

“The National Diploma in Choreography is the brainchild of SLFI. We were invited to set in motion this idea initiated by the two coordinators of this project Bulumulle and Vishwanathan. I think it is very timely that a proper educational programme on this subject called choreography should start, as we come across many occasions that involve or demand the art of choreography.

We see many young aspiring dancers attempting to make dancing their professional career. Those with artistic intuition succeed and others fail. The aim of this course is to help dancers discover their hidden abilities and to stimulate their creative thinking towards choreography," said Course Director, Ravibandu Vidyapathi.

“According to the most accepted and widely known definition, Choreography is the Art of arranging movement for a single dancer or a group of dancers in a given space within a specific time span. But it is not just about creating beautiful pictures on stage, using dancers, costumes, décor, lighting and make up. It is a far more deeper and wider artistic endeavor that transcends all barriers - ethnic, stylistic traditional or other.

The first thing a choreographer does irrespective of what dance discipline he comes from, is to liberate himself from all technical bonds yet keeping the strings attached to his roots and this is what all the great choreographers in the world have done. The vast canopy of choreography covers many forms of Art. From traditional dance in the open air arena through ballet, opera, drama, musical theater, film, television and even fashion shows.

How does a choreographer translate an inner vision and emotion into dance imagery? From what styles and traditions has today’s choreography evolved? How do such elements like body language, content, structure, music, set and costume design and lighting work together to create a dance experience? Knowing the answers to these questions can lead an aspiring young choreographer towards more creative choreographic thinking and that is what we hope to do with this course,” said Vidyapathi In his address Choreographer, Kapila Palihawadana spoke of the diploma as a great opportunity for those willing to be professional choreographers.

This certificate is recognized not only in Sri Lanka but internationally. “This diploma is very important. The Duration is 14 months. The target group is dancers of all disciplines, university dance students, dance teachers and those who have the interest and ability.

The medium will be in all three languages, Sinhala, Tamil and English. The content of the course we have categorized into four areas : The theory of choreography, Practical area of choreography, Related area and Workshops. In the theory of choreography : dance anatomy, foundation principles in choreography, performance and contemporary culture, performance analysis and directing choreography.

Practical area of choreography would be techniques of improvisation. This is an important area because when you learn dancing, when you want to do a choreography, it is not enough just learning only the very basic of traditional dance forms. Another aspect under this area is music and choreography.

We will teach you to think beyond, how to create things within your own language and what you know. Allied Arts is another aspect. Sometimes being a choreographer you have to have the knowledge of not only dancing but lighting, sets, costumes and makeup. Then there is Choreography for screen.

Sometime the camera angle is different, if you are a great dancer, maybe you have done only stage performances but not performance in front of the screen.

For instance how do you connect with the camera how do you connect with the live audience? Then there is related area - research in production.

Let us say you are doing a production based on rain; how it happens; how it touches the human skin, you have to feel it and to feel that you have to have the back knowledge.

That is why research is very important. So we will be teaching you how to do research as well.” Participants will be selected through interviews.