Step into a world of dance in a transformed Lionel Wendt
Next weekend (September 26-28), the Chitrasena Dance Company will present ‘Namo Vajiraye-The Unfolding Legacy’ at the Lionel Wendt in memory of Vajira Chitrasena, who passed away one year ago. The commemorative event is in two parts; an exhibition during the day and performance by the company each evening.
When Vajira’s granddaughter and the company’s current Artistic Director Heshma Wignarajah described her vision for the exhibition to Jonathan Edward, the designer the company has commissioned, she had one request – “make the Lionel Wendt feel different”.
Vajira performing the Gajaga vannama
Through the show, the Chitrasena family will make public the material from a digital exhibition they created for Vajira some years ago. For Jonathan, an architect who is known for delivering intriguing spatial design concepts for exhibitions (he worked on recent shows at the MMCA, for example), the family’s clear vision was a strong starting point. From there it was about approaching the Wendt with fresh eyes – ushering in the possibility of delight and wonder in a familiar space. “You know what to expect when you walk in to the Wendt – we want people to see it in a new way,” he says.
Heshma says that she teared up when Jonathan and his team first showed her their sketches for the exhibition. The space seemed transformed. “The Wendt should be appreciated for everything that it has given us artists over the years,” she says.
Jonathan Edward
More pertinently, her grandmother Vajira – doyen of the female Sri Lankan dance form – saw her career blossom at the Wendt. It was the only fitting location for an exhibition that aims to add new dimension to Vajira as muse, dancer, teacher and creator in the public eye. Photographs, video, costumes, newspaper reviews and more from the Chitrasena archive will provide the curious visitor with an understanding of the evolution of modern-day Sri Lankan dance, and the arts scene of the time.
The exhibition is spread across the Wendt’s common spaces and the Harold Peiris Gallery, divided into sections, each exploring different facets of Vajira. The entrance hallway will document her most known role as Chitrasena’s dance partner, which will lead into her own career as a dancer in the foyer. A photograph of Vajira and Chitrasena in a running leap, with her leading, marks the transition. “After that, it’s all about her!” says Jonathan.
Next, visitors can experience Vajira’s long career as a choreographer, producer and director – a creator who was ahead of her contemporaries in terms of innovation, precision, and pure dedication to dance. In this section we can expect to see quite a bit of Upeka Chitrasena, who took over her mother’s role as Principal Dancer in later years (a role now occupied by Upeka’s niece Thaji Dias after Upeka’s retirement in 2011). “As much as Vajira was Chitrasena’s muse, Upeka was hers, so she is an integral part of the story,” explains Jonathan.
In the rehearsal room, we witness Vajira as a decoder of traditional dance and teacher. Here one will learn some little-known facts, such as her development of the practice costume for female students (the black leggings and top with a coloured skirt, common in dance classes across the country). Before this, female dancers wore kurtas and loose pants to practise. Vajira also developed a syllabus to teach Kandyan dance, breaking up the complex routines into a sequence of exercises that made for a more teachable form. Heshma remembers her as an exacting dancer and teacher. She understands that commitment to rigour now; “when you’re teaching, you’re exacting. But that’s only until they own it.”
An interactive installation invites the visitor to take a leap of faith, while ‘The Same River Twice’ – a short documentary created by the company will be screened on the stage of the Wendt. Finally, the Harold Peiris Gallery will house the section on Vajira as a collaborator, highlighting for instance, her longstanding partnership with Somabandu Vidyapathy, who designed her first costume as a female Kandyan dancer on the stage. More costumes and other aspects of her collaborations can be viewed in this section, before the exhibition closes on a poignant note.
Jonathan had known of Vajira before, as the woman who confidently took to the stage as the first professional female dancer performing Kandyan. Through the exhibition, he says that he has learnt there was much more to her as a creator, teacher and collaborator with a husband who was comfortable sharing the limelight and recognized his partner as an equal. Heshma says this story is part of the ongoing legacy of the Chitrasena Dance Company and the school, which is led by their daughters and granddaughters.
Each time she sat down to write a note for the exhibition, she was seeing Vajira’s contribution to dance with fresh eyes. “I keep finding out that she was the first to do something, or that she pushed a boundary in an unexpected way. Each time I think ‘oh gosh, aachchi!’” she laughs.
Tickets for the evening performance commencing at 7.15 p.m. on September 26, 27 and 28 can be purchased on www.boxoffice.lk. The exhibition is free and will be open from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on the same days. Schools or universities interested in guided tours could get in touch with the Chitrasena Dance Company to book an appointment.
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