Tradition meets the contemporary
Ruwini JAYAWARDANA
On with the dance! let joy be unconfined;
No sleep till morn, when Youth and Pleasure meet
To chase the glowing hours with flying feet.
~ George Gordon, Lord Byron, Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage
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The truest expressions of people is in dance and music. Bodies never
lie, so says American dancer and choreographer Agnes de Mille. This
expression is true concerning Rangika Jeewantha Vidanage’s dance style.
The talented dancer and choreographer matured on stage, following the
path defined by his ballet teacher Niloufer Piries. Deriving inspiration
from traditional and modern techniques and assimilating characteristics
of dancing, the youth had evolved over the years by establishing his
mark as a dancer and choreographer with his own unique style. He and his
team of dancers at Rivega Dance Studio will present Natmo 2012, an
evening of traditional, folk and contemporary dance at the Lionel Wendt
theatre, Colombo, on July 13 and 14 at 7 pm. The event is presented by
the Royal Nelung Arts Centre in association with Rivega. This is the
team’s first project together.
“The value of Sri Lankan traditional folk dance is rapidly
disappearing. Our prime objective is to promote the country’s dance
traditional heritage through 12 dance items. Each of these items derive
from conventional dance concepts rooted in our culture,” Rangika
explained the theory behind Natmo 2012.
Indeed the show is not merely a dance festival but a celebration of
Sri Lankan culture as well. You get items uch as the Kala-Bum dance
which portrays the lives of Sri Lankan women engaged in the traditional
clay industry. The Wana Saul Vannama is a unique dance item based on Sri
Lanka’s national bird, the jungle fowl. It has not been showcased before
and is one of Rangika’s experimental dance items.
“There are 17 vannams which have been handed down to us by our
ancestors. Vannams like the Mayura (peacock) and Hansa (swan) are common
today. I was pondering over my dance items when I realized that there is
no vannam for our national bird. I used to watch the jungle fowls that
roam the neighbour’s garden in the mornings. I studied their movements
for a long time before choreographing the act. The individuality of
these birds come form their leg movements. They do not walk on pointed
toes like the peacock but spread their toes and lift their feet with
very energetic movements. These facts and more I incorporated into the
dance,” he expressed.
Nil Manel or Blue Lotus (a dance based on the national flower of Sri
Lanka), Wattam (an item deriving from the four Kandyan classical dances
called Wattam Satara), Apsara (a dance showcasing the beauty of the
Sigiriya maidens), Senakeli (a dance using the musical instruments the
rabana and talampota), Suraba (a dance inspired by the Suraba Walliya
where women play with a ball while dancing), Ayubowan (an experimental
item which engages Kandyan and Low Country dance techniques) and
collections of rare folk songs and music are other items to watch out
for in Natmo 2012.
“Me and my wife, Manori Siriwardena, will be performing a dance
together titled Thala Ru. It is a dance based on the Kandyan beats and
images. Manori is a dancing teacher at Museaus College and is
experienced in the subject,” Rangika said. Queried as to why he had
named his show Natmo 2012, Rangika said that the term derives from the
Sinhala term ‘Let’s dance’.
“I came up with the concept for the show in 2001. I visited Ariyasen
Ahubudu to get an appropriate name for the show and he suggested this
phrase to me. It is catchy and embodies the essence of my programme. We
decided to use it as the title also because it was Ahubudu who came up
with the name for my dance academy, Rivega, as well,” he said explaining
that ‘Rivega’ means skilled or fast dancing techniques in Sinhala. He
also expressed his gratitude towards his dance guru Niloufer Piries and
the Royal College Union for their immense support.
The Natmo 2012 production group comprises around 60 members. Nadeeka
Veligodapola is in charge of the music composition and Sachintha de
Silva is the lead drummer. They hope to take the production around the
island, especially to Kandy, Galle and Jaffna. Three shows in Kandy are
already set in December.
Natmo 2012 is not the only feather in Rangika’s cap. He has proven
himself as a gifted dancer and choreographer in the past by winning many
accolades. He had taken part in a number of international competitions
such as the Ninth Asia Pacific Dance Competition in Singapore in 2007
and went to win five international awards and 14 awards at the annual
‘Dance Drama’ contest organized by the Cultural Affairs Ministry. He
also won the titles for best Elders’ Short Ballet for Chiththa Jaala
(Web of Thoughts) and Elders’ Extended Ballet for Kutumbaya (Family) at
the 11th State Oriental Ballet Festival.
Rangika established Rivega in 2001 together with his twin brother
Rangana who is currently pursuing further studies in Australia. After
schooling in Dharmodaya Vidyalaya, Mount Lavinia, Prince of Wales,
Moratuwa, and Royal College, Colombo, Rangika completed his Bachelor of
Performing Arts at the University of Visual and Performing Arts. Rivega
has performed in the Middle East, Singapore, Thailand and India. Their
dancers hail from all parts of the island including Kandy, Tangalle and
Avissawella. They are open to including any part time or professional
dancers in their future shows.
“If they embody a passion for dancing they can join hands with us. We
are willing to audition them and give them the stage to showcase their
talents to the world,” Rangika said. You can contact him on 0773077756
for further details.
Daily News is the print media sponsor of ‘Natmo 2012’.
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