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Great artiste,entertainer and fine human being
By D. C. Ranatunga

Those were his wishes
Deshamanya Chitrasena wanted his funeral to be concluded within 24 hours of his passing away and we fulfilled his wishes, a family member told The Sunday Times.

Exactly a year ago we had dinner together. It was after the Eagle Insurance Company's Sales Convention where the contribution made by Sri Lanka's leading dancing duo Chitrasena and Vajira was recognized and they were awarded the Eagle Award of Excellence. Chitrasena told us of the secret of his being fit. "I am a great believer in garlic. I take garlic daily and I have no health problems," he said. He also had a regular swim in the sea. That night he related old stories which we enjoyed. Occasionally Vajira would correct him but he always had his say.

"Thaththa never fell ill. When he realised he was down with a terminal illness, he couldn't believe it," daughter Upeka told me after his death last Sunday.
Eight years ago when I met him during one of his occasional visits to Colombo from Mahara where he resided, he said, "I have had my day. Now it's up to others to carry on." He looked relaxed and free. "I am now managing others. No more dancing," he said. He was then 76 but did not show signs of ageing.

When the students of the Chitrasena School of Dance felicitated him on his 82nd birthday with a three day exhibition at the Art Gallery, Chitrasena sat at the entrance with Vajira by his side and watched the others perform. But he couldn't resist the temptation when he heard the drumming. He would take an occasional step or two though his body wouldn't allow him to do what he had done with so much ease a few years earlier.

During six decades of dancing, Chitrasena made an invaluable contribution towards the upliftment of the local dance forms and popularized the Sinhala ballet. "It was my father Seebert Dias who produced and choreographed the first national ballet in Sri Lanka," Chitrasena once wrote. "It was the first time that a story was related through the dance. It was 1936 and the ballet was 'Sri Sangabo' in which I danced the main role at the age of 15."

Seebert Dias ran the Tower Hall for a number of years during which time he produced many of John de Silva's plays. He was actively involved with the Colombo Dramatic Club. He also produced and acted in several Shakespearean dramas. His portrayal of Shylock in 'The Merchant of Venice' was the talk of the town. Chitrasena was influenced by his father in his love of the theatre.
He firmly believed that for the traditional dance to survive it had to be given a new dimension and this could only be done in relationship with the theatre. This meant that the traditional dance had to undergo a certain transformation for the stage.

Having learnt Kandyan dancing under Algama Kiriganitha Gurunnanse, Muddanave Appuwa, a veteran dancer from Kandy, and Lapaya Gurunnanse, Chitrasena went to Shantiniketan. On his return he set up his school in Kollupitiya which soon became the meeting place of contemporary artistes. Ananda Samarakoon worked with him in his early productions. Sunil Shantha held his music classes there. Somabandu and Amaradeva became household names after they started working as a team with Chitrasena.

I have known Chitrasena from the days of 'Karadiya' , his most talked-about ballet, in the early sixties. I remember him telling me "So long as I can stage 'Karadiya', I am not worried." He was commenting on the hard times that many an artiste had to face. He was confident that crowds would turn up in their numbers to see 'Karadiya'. He was absolutely right. What 'Maname' did to Sinhala theatre, 'Karadiya' did to Sinhala dance and ballet. I remember 'Karadiya' being staged for the 198th time in December 1967.

Chitrasena as Mandadirala was unforgettable just as much as the song 'hoiya hoiya' is still a hit. Talking about how he conceived 'Karadiya', Chitrasena said that while traveling by train from Colombo to Matara once a week to conduct a dancing class, he would watch the 'madela' being hauled by the fisher-folk to the strains of 'hoiya hoiya'. This inspired him and gave him the idea for the ballet. The result was superlative entertainment.

After 'Karadiya', he revived 'Nala Damayanthi' which he had produced earlier and then' Nurthanjali', a fast moving revue of the rhythms of our people which turned out to be a unique experience.

Like his father, Chitrasena was fond of English theatre too. He played Othello in Ernest Macintyre's production and Emperor Jones for Karan Breckenridge.
Chitrasena and Vajira have over two dozen productions to their credit but their greatest contribution was the creation of a new generation of dancers.

Channa and Ravibandu are just two who have made their mark. And in daughter Upeka the duo has a perfect dancer to continue the family tradition.
Great statesmen in the world admired and enjoyed his performances. He was the perfect ambassador for Sri Lanka when he led many a cultural delegation. His contribution was recognised by the State with the conferment of several titles from 'Kala Keerthi' to 'Deshamanya'. The Kelaniya University conferred on him an honorary doctorate.

Yet, with all the accolades and titles, Chitrasena remained the simple, unassuming individual he always was. Even in death he had insisted on a simple funeral within 24 hours with only the family members being present. Obviously he was not keen on being 'exhibited' at the left wing of the Art Gallery. Vajira and children Upeka, Anjali and Anudatta will miss him, just as we all will. Yet we will always remember a great artiste, good entertainer and above all, fine human being.

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