Arts
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‘The
arts are good business’ As a teacher Niloufer crisscrosses between Singapore and Sri Lanka and believes that artistes here need to look at the region for training and experience rather than hankering to go to the more costly and often unaffordable UK and US institutes to further their expertise. "South Asia and the Far East have so much to offer," she says, citing the opportunities and training available in countries like Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines. Though much involved in sponsoring and promoting the arts in this country, Niloufer believes the way forward is for local artistes to take the initiative to seize opportunities for themselves. As any artiste seeking to put on a show will attest, obtaining sponsorship is an energy sapping and time-consuming process, which leaves them with precious little left for their creative pursuits. "Artistes must try to help themselves, and be flexible. Many don't want to lower their standards by venturing into something different but you can’t afford to be too picky,” she feels. She herself sees nothing amiss in a dance troupe performing at a hotel , for instance , though many would perhaps see it as commercialising their art. “The arts are good business,” she says emphaticaly. “But we need to market ourselves and look for new ways to make the arts a viable concern.” There are many lessons to be learned from Niloufer’s own journey in dance , which began in her school days in India where she lived with her parents in the shadow of the Second World War. Artistically inclined themselves, her mother learned Kathak in Bangalore and encouraged the young Niloufer to imbibe the great artistic heritage of India. It was a legacy she still values deeply and in fact , her last show was dedicated to her mother. As a shy yet determined youngster not yet 13 , Niloufer went to London with her parents to follow her dream of becoming a professional ballet dancer. She was at first turned down by the Royal Ballet School but gained acceptance at the Legat School where she was to spend many happy years. In 1957, she tried again for the Royal Ballet School and this time was taken in, the first Asian to gain entry to this prestigious institution. Even then her path was strewn with obstacles. She recalls that her stage debut was in Aladdin, a musical directed by Shakespea-rean actor Robert Helpmann at the London Coliseum and says frankly that there was no turning down offers at that time, even if they did not represent the classical ballet she had trained for. The way she looked at it, each new experience broadened her horizons. "I needed the exposure, I needed the money for my point shoes and so I saw nothing wrong in dancing in a pantomime in Bradford," she says. "My mother was a little doubtful about whether this was the right move, but I had no regrets. I went to every possible audition and saved up money to take classes in Paris." "I even did TV as well," she says and goes on to relate how five of them went to Monte Carlo at the request of Princess Antoinette, the sister of Prince Rainer, to dance in a Red Cross gala. Her big break came when she was selected to join a ballet company in Lubeck, Germany, after which she enjoyed ten exciting years performing with dancers from all over the world in a dance company directed by Erich Walter which performed with the Stuttgart Ballet and the Royal Danish Ballet and toured Europe, South America, Scandinavia and Spain. Then armed with a teaching diploma in dance from the Royal Academy of Dance she began teaching first in Stuttgart and again broke new ground, spending ten years in Israel as ballet mistress at the Bat Sheva Dance Company and Israel Ballet before sharing her expertise in Singapore at the Singapore Dance Theatre. Now masterminding the Nelung Dance Academy (NDA) which she founded in 1991, she keeps a strict, if fond watch on her pupils' progress, guiding not just their steps in dance but also enhancing their musical appreciation and trying to open their eyes to the rich dance traditions this country possesses. The lack of interaction among teachers of different disciplines saddens her and this is one of the aspects she hopes she can remedy with her Nelung Arts Centre, which she envisages will offer a holistic approach to the arts and promote co-operation between artistes not just in Sri Lanka but within the Asia Pacific region as well. The Centre, one of her cherished dreams is still on the drawing boards, but she has it all visualized. Two dance studios, with mirrors, barres and wooden sprung floors, a performing space and small auditorium, an apartment for guest teachers and even a restaurant serving traditional Sri Lankan cuisine, for "dancers too have to eat". The Centre would also have commercial sections with rentable spaces to generate some income. "Given our present background of conflict, we can do a lot with the arts," she adds. And meeting her, there is no doubting her sincerity and conviction to do something for her country. -Renuka Sadanandan A good
laugh, current issues, but was there a way? The story begins when a son admits he's gay to his outraged parents. They head back to Sri Lanka to find a bride and cure him of his "disease". There, we meet uncle Ranjit and his family and become a part of all the relatives' attempts to marry Lal off. They find a suitable girl and get ready for a wedding, with plenty of Sri Lankan stereotypes and jokes along the way. The script was witty and it used Sinhala words and even sly references to the play's sponsors. The cast brought to life doddering grandmothers, less than innocent young cousins, and nostalgic old boys. In a little over an hour, issues like nationalism and tolerance were skilfully aired, but a few times along the way, characters got lost in the message. There was no real relationship between Lal and his boyfriend, and it was hard to see how the idealistic aunt Shirani and skirt-chasing Ranjit ever got married. Scene changes were also a little clumsy. In the semi-darkness it was easy to see shadowy stagehands re-arranging tables and chairs. But as music from songs of Bon Jovi and "I'm Leaving on a Jet Plane" played during the blackouts, it felt more cosy than unprofessional. The homely living room furniture that made up the set, and the intimate atmosphere of the theatre itself made the audience feel a part of the whole process. This feeling was further heightened during the intermission, when the viewers were cordially invited to the young couple's wedding. As the curtains closed, a flower girl and page boy walked along the aisles distributing wedding cake. The audience became a part of the play and interacted with the actors as wedding guests. In a surprise ending, the shocked family learns that the bride had eloped with another woman. After Lal's father nearly has a heart attack, they all shrug their shoulders and line up to sing Frank Sinatra's song "My Way". The song wasn't unexpected, but somehow it just didn't fit. It offered a blanket conclusion when nothing was decided: Lal's would-be bride had eloped, but what was his fate? Was he going to have to stand up against everyone to live his way? My Way brought up many relevant issues in a comfortable, funny way that left the audience laughing, even as they laughed at themselves. And, while it may have said do it your way without any practical idea as to how, it did show everyone that they're not alone if they try. Rural
lives and flora entwine on canvas His name instantly evokes visions of lush jungle vegetation with the curling and twisting creepers and tendrils, colourful indigenous flowers, unselfconscious nudes and stylized birds and animals. The Wanni jungle has always been the happy hunting ground for Seevali's art and imagination perhaps because its dominating influence helped mould Seevali into the painter that he now is. Seevali is from a remote village in the North Central Province. His keen and perceptive observation of the daily life of the simple village community and of the surrounding jungle fauna and flora has significantly influenced the themes of his paintings. Seevali not only depicts his vision of reality but also probes into the inner strivings of his subjects. An exhibition of paintings by Seevali Illangasinghe begins today and will be on till September 19, at the Felix Gallery, 75, Alexandra Place, Colombo 7. AYAs
show their talent in Kandy The organizers have selected for display the paintings of five up and coming students ranging from 10-16 years. They are E.A. Chanuri Madushani, G.A. Rishini Chamari Jayaratne, E.A.K. Nuwangi Kusumsiri, I.W.A. Isuri Nimeshika, all from Sujatha Balika Vidyalaya, Matara and P. Danith Sri Muthukumarana from Vidyartha College, Kandy. Their works are on display until September 17 at Alliance Francaise de Kandy, No. 642, Peradeniya Road, Kandy. |
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