A philosopher among dancers

Ms. Mansingh's visit to Sri Lanka is being sponsored by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) to mark the 50th anniversary celebrations of the Council. The performances in Sri Lanka are being organised by the High Commission of India in association with the Ministry of Cultural Affairs of Sri Lanka under the India-Sri Lanka Cultural Exchange Programme.

Acknowledged as a master in the interpretation of India through dance and related artistic traditions, Sonal Mansingh has been called a philosopher among dancers, once who has lived dance, experienced its many aspects, one who is constantly relocating dance in the vortex of the contemporary world. 

She has travelled widely, seeing and assimilating dance and art traditions of the world. For Sonal, the universal message of artistic traditions is a factor binding diverse cultures and societies. She believes that countries can come closer together in a global atmosphere of friendship and mutual respect through intercultural understanding.

Sonal Mansingh has been on the stage since 1961. She founded the Centre for Indian Classical Dancers (CICD) in 1977 in Delhi and has trained many young men and women, some of whom have already earned critical acclaim.

Invitations for her performance could be obtained by contacting , Manamendra Madawattegedera of the Cultural Affairs ministry on Tel. 888336.

Cartoon to gorgeous ballet

By Seneka Abeyratne

"Swan Princess", the popular animated film goes on the boards at the Bishop's College auditorium as a ballet staged by the Deanna School of Dancing. The production on July 20, 21 and 22 has been developed by principal Deanna Jayasuriya who having done her own choreography has put together a major production, all within the space of three months. 

Audiences will love the toe-tapping music written by Lex de Azevedo and David Zippel (which has a touch of Broadway and includes two glorious love songs: "For Longer than Forever" and "Eternity"), the beautiful costumes and sets, and the dances and pantomimes created by Deanna. In addition to the original music, the production also contains some popular classical pieces to make it a full-length ballet. 

The cast is awesome: over two hundred students, from age two upwards! A special feature is that several of Deanna's former students, among them Harshini, Dinali, Naushally, Tiruni, Ruwani and Navanthe, now currently pursuing undergraduate studies overseas in such varied fields as medicine, engineering and business, will be dancing in the ballet. 

An added attraction for children, is that all the 'little ones' will be dressed up as animals, butterflies, peacocks, crocodiles and deer, not to mention the frog, turtle and bird, who become the Swan Princess's bosom buddies and try to protect her against the evil influences of Rothbart (played by Zeenath Imam). This beastly fellow, who has the power to turn himself or others into animals, is preparing to overthrow King William and take his kingdom by means of the Forbidden Arts. And the only person who can stop him is Derek, son of the widowed Queen, Uberta. 

The Swan Princess, written by Richard Rich and Brian Nissen, is a gorgeous fairy tale, whose theme is borrowed (a wee bit) from the Swan Lake ballet. Hence the familiar names, such as Odette and Rothbart. 

In this story, King William's only child, Odette (played by Sumaya Ramanayake), is turned into a swan by the enchanter, Rothbart, who is determined to prevent her marrying Prince Derek ( Mayuri Munasinghe). We also have Odette's double (played by Ayumi Ratnakumara) — the Odile of Swan Lake perhaps — a beautiful but fake Princess created by Rothbart, who tries to seduce the Prince and trick him into marrying her. 

But like most fairy tales, all's well that ends well. The spell broken, the Swan Princess becomes Odette once again, and the Prince is overjoyed. She and Derek (who disliked each other as children but later fell in love) are thus happily reunited. At their wedding, the bridesmaids perform a lovely polonaise, followed by the finale: a tender love dance ("Eternity") performed by the newly married couple, who will one day inherit the kingdom of King William. All in all, a charming story that promises to be a fine evening's entertainment.

Deanna (a fully qualified and registered teacher of the Royal Academy of Dancing, U.K.) continues to make a significant contribution to the performing arts in Sri Lanka. Last year her school celebrated its twentieth anniversary with a grand ceremony held at the Bishops College auditorium. The school has made a name for itself in recent years with productions such as "Carmen", "Aladdin", "Peter and the Wolf", "Beauty and the Beast" and "The Nutcracker". The "Swan Princess" represents her most creative and original production to date.

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