Reliving Aachchi every step of the way
In Vajira Chitrasena’s world, there was no such thing as ‘can’t’. One simply did what needed to be done. When her granddaughters were fretting over 12 blouses that needed to be stitched three days before a show, Vajira took it upon herself to get them done. Her daughter-in-law cut the material, and she deftly stitched them into costumes ready in time for the show. She was a sprightly 91 years old.
For those who knew Vajira, this may seem a rather tame anecdote. She is after all the woman who transformed Kandyan dance from a man’s world to one that women now enter without prejudice.
From the Chitrasena archives: Vajira in a dazzling leap during a Kandyan dance solo. Pic by Nihal Fernando
It was Vajira who boldly stepped onto the stage from the 1940s, making it possible for women to envision a career as a dancer while her husband – the legendary master of Sri Lankan dance, Chitrasena – reimagined traditional dance forms and created what was then known as the ‘Sinhala ballet’ or mudra natya. She was not the first woman to perform Kandyan dance (among others before her, Miriam Peiris and Chandralekha Perera are remembered for their daring turns on stage in the ’30s)- but she was the first to make it her profession.
Widely considered Sri Lanka’s first prima ballerina, Vajira honed her craft to become the best (“if Chitrasena jumped high, then I jumped too”, she recalled in an interview with the Sunday Times on her 91st birthday). She set the tone for today’s female Kandyan dance form, performing for distinguished audiences in both
Sri Lanka and cultural capitals across the world. Her granddaughter Thaji recalls watching a video of her grandmother dancing with her grandfather three months postpartum in Russia in 1957- “We showed it to her a few years ago, and she was critiquing how she was holding her arms. Meanwhile all of us were just stunned by how perfect her form was, even in the early stages of her career!”
Granddaughters Heshma and Thaji Pic by M.A. Pushpa Kumara
This video will be one among several that will see the light of day at ‘Namo Vajiraye-The Unfolding Legacy’, a three-day commemorative performance and exhibition at the Lionel Wendt from September 26th-28th that will mark the first anniversary of Vajira’s death. She passed away at 92 in September 2024.
The Chitrasenas are often described as a family that have dedicated their whole lives to dance. Of Chitrasena and Vajira’s three children (Upeka, Anjalika and Anudatta), Upeka and Anjalika followed in their mother’s footsteps as both dancers and teachers. Anudatta’s daughter is Thajithangani Dias (Thaji to all), now the Principal Dancer of the company after Upeka retired in 2011. Anjalika’s daughter Heshma Wignarajah is Artistic Director.
Namo Vajiraye is Heshma’s brainchild (amply supported, she emphasizes, by a large crew of past and present pupils, well-wishers and the team at Chitrasena). It was born out of a recent passion project of the grandchildren – a digital exhibition for their beloved grandmother, with lovingly collected photographs and video from her long career spanning over half a century. Vajira, true to form, was pleased yet somewhat embarrassed by all the fuss. For her family, it was an opportunity to celebrate her anew.
“Aachchi has always been the epitome of an artist for me. She was not just a dancer, she was a multifaceted person whose work reflected that,” says Heshma. Vajira the dancer and trailblazer were her most known roles, but she was also a pioneering teacher- developing a series of exercises that dissected Kandyan dance into a more teachable form – and a highly creative choreographer and director, especially of children’s ballet.
Something they aim to bring out with Namo Vajiraye, says Heshma, is Vajira’s complete mastery of technique; “It was not just her understanding of it, but the way that she dissected technique and translated it for the audience that set her apart.” Technique alone didn’t cut it when Vajira took the stage as the swan in Nala Damayanthi, or as Sisi in Karadiya. “She played this dual role as a highly skilled technical dancer and master storyteller. That is something that we are trying to bring out with the show. That’s why we feel her story has to be fully experienced through both the show and the exhibition.”
The exhibition component of Namo Vajiraye will showcase valuable archival footage and photographs alongside other media, including her costumes. Some of the rare footage, like the video of Vajira and Chitrasena performing in Moscow in the 50s came by chance - sent by a friend who had seen it in a long documentary. Seeing the clips, both Heshma and Thaji were awed by how powerful and refined their grandparents’ form was.
The Chitrasenas were known for their strict adherence to clarity of movement, creative interpretation of traditional dance techniques and masterful stagecraft. These drew Heshma to her current role (which she laughingly refers to as being the resident ‘fill-in-the-blanks person’). Shortly after she returned from studying in the US, her grandfather passed away in 2005, and she witnessed her grandmother at a loss for the first time in her life. Heshma assumed the responsibilities, and has been working with an extended team to ensure that the school runs smoothly and that funding is constant so that its dancers are not “jumping up and down in places that they shouldn’t be”- a reality for most artists in Sri Lanka, where patrons of the arts are few and far between. “I live the dance through Thaji, so I don’t miss it as much,” she says.
Thaji, now the Principal Dancer of the company and image of her grandmother, evokes Vajira in all her work. She is always grateful for the legacy that her grandparents have left, and deeply conscious of the responsibility. “You’re constantly trying to give something to the next generation to help them understand how valuable these art forms are, and the people who have passed them down,” she says.
Thaji will lead the shows of Namo Vajiraye alongside male lead Kushan Malinda, with students present and past. The audience will see her take on her grandmother’s famed role as the swan in Nala Damayanthi. The last time that she performed as the swan, her grandmother was there to guide her. This time, she will be performing in honour of the memory; “I’m so happy to be able to perform it, but I can’t help but wish she was here. Sometimes when I dance it feels like she’s within me.”
Missing their grandmother’s towering presence at both home and work drives Heshma, Thaji and the family. Putting this show together, Heshma often finds herself tweaking certain performances, thinking ‘this one is more her (more Aachchi)’. “It took us quite a bit of time to think about what we wanted to treasure and hold onto, and relive,” she says.
When her grandfather passed away, she remembers saying “there is no other way to deal with this sorrow except to dance.” In the absence of their grandmother, the family is moving forward in keeping with the 80-year-old legacy that defines their life’s calling. This year they staged a children’s ballet (Cat Country) in April, soft screened a short documentary in July, and continue to engage various international artists in residency programmes.
Both Heshma and Thaji are conscious that the Chitrasena legacy is a living one, reflected in the passion for dance and mastery of form that they instil in the students who pass through the Kalayathanaya. Keeping the school going through COVID and economic crisis, with many dancers leaving the country, has not been easy. But working hard is the Chitrasena way.
“People think that we’ve had it easy, but we have seen how our grandparents and aunts struggled through the years,” says Heshma. She references the time the school was adrift for about 25 years when their famed Colpetty studio was reclaimed and demolished. It was only in 2007 that the school found a new permanent home on Park Road. There is more work to be done even here, with the family planning to fulfil their grandparents’ wish to host a living archive to engage visitors who want to learn more about the Chitrasena legacy and contribution to Sri Lankan dance.
Namo Vajiraye is a step in that direction. The exhibition designed by Jonathan Edward, is a chance to experience a slice of modern history- there will be photographs, video, live installations, costumes and other memorabilia from Vajira’s long career. The show’s production is managed by Marlon Jesudasan. Creative guidance from the Chitrasena daughters Upeka and Anjalika alongside the extended family, as well as well-known dancer Ravibandu Vidyapathy, have shaped both the show and exhibition.
“Through the show, we hope that the audience will understand the level of love and attention she gave to everything that she did,” say Vajira’s granddaughters. Witnessing their work and hearing their words, one feels sure that this ethos is in safe hands.
Namo Vajiraye- The Unfolding Legacy will take place at the Lionel Wendt from September 26 -28. The exhibition will be open to visitors from 10 a.m.- 4 p.m., and the evening of each day will be dedicated to a performance featuring past and present students of the school.
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