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| Monday, 29 November 2004 |
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Indian Folk and Bharatha Natyam dance troupes captivate Lankan audiences A 21-member Folk and Bharatha Natyam dance troupe from Tanjore, India enthralled Sri Lankan audiences with their performances from October 14 to October 31, 2004. The troupe from the South Zone, Cultural Centre, Tanjore, led by Mr. Balu visited Sri Lanka on invitation of the Sri Lankan Ministry of Agricultural Marketing Development, Co-operative Development and Hindu Affairs for the celebrations of Navarathri Vizha held at the New Kathiresan Hall, Bambalapitiya.
The troupe presented a spectacular display of traditional folk dances and music from Tanjore rarely seen in Sri Lanka before, such as 'Karagam', 'Peacock Dance', 'Dummy Horse Dance', 'Bull Dance', Oyilattam', Kolattam', 'Kuravan Kurathi Dance', 'Kavadi' and 'Thappatam'. The dancers were brilliant and full of enthusiasm matching the foot tapping music with every step. Their colourful costumes, elaborate jewellery and bright smiles added a special charm to their performance. Classical Bharatha Natyam performances were also presented by the dancers. Apart from the performances in Colombo, the troupe also performed in Bandarawela, Batticaloa, Trincomalee and the final performance was held again in Colombo Jinthupitya Murugan Temple. Dance presentation by Nadeswaralaya College of Fine Arts' students An appreciative audience packed the Ramakrishna Mission Hall, Wellawatte, Colombo 6 to enjoy a programme of dances and music presented by the students of Nadeshwaralaya College of Fine Arts managed by Srimathy Malathy Sivakumar who is an Arts graduate of the University of Peradeniya and a diploma holder in dancing from the College of Bharatha Natyam run by Valuvur Ramaiah Pillai of Madras. Besides she was the principal of Vipulananda Tamil Vidyalayam, Colombo for nearly ten years. The programme of dances, music, veena, violin, mirudangam, flute were held under the distinguished patronage of Kalaimamani V. R. Maniccavinayagam, a veteran musician of South India.
The world certainly rests on those who create trust where there is hate and threat. Dance and music are two major art forms which have stood the ravages of colonialism and foreign rule and emerged unscathed. In fact art is an attempt to bring down within the vision of ordinary mortals of some of the divine beauty. Dance is an exterior expression of the interior sensation of soul conveyed through movements and steps in time to music. The feelings, emotions, in fact a persons entire psyche can be eloquently and beautifully expressed by the human body in a subtle and scintillating sequence. The eyes, the face, the fingers, the hands and feet are exquisitely blended in one bringing out the best in a person. Centuries of culture and cult, art and drama are intricately intertwined in the rhythmic movements of the body to the accompaniment of mystifying music and lingering lyrics that raise the human soul above the mundane. For a couple of hours one finds himself or herself in a different realm that is so comforting and consoling. Such was the feeling when the students of Nadeswaralaya College of Fine Arts burst into brilliance by their dance performances. In fact, Jeyalakshmi Sivakumar enthralled the audience with her uninhibited and impeccable dancing when she performed a dance from Apirami Anthathi to the accompaniment of the mystifying music starting from "Kanchiyil Veethirukkum Kamadchi Unthan Karunayinal Thaanintha Yulakadchchi." She excelled in all particularly in her facial expression, manual gesture and deft footwork. In fact Nadeswaralaya College of Fine Arts which was established in 2002 by Srimathy Malathy Sivakumar with the assistance of highly trained teachers is rendering tremendous service to the young students who are interested in Bharatha Natyam, music, veena, violin and Mirudangam. Indeed Srimathy Malathy Sivakumar deserve everyone's congratulations for having given intensive and extensive training to students and made everyone to perform all the difficult dance technique with commendable measure of competence. Organ Recital at St. Andrew's Scots Kirk There will be an Organ Recital by Godfrey Slater of Trinity College, London, at St. Andrew's Scots Kirk, 73, Galle Road, Colombo, beginning at 7.15 pm on Saturday, December 4. After graduating from Trinity College, Godfrey Slater embarked on a career in teaching. He has been Director of Music in several schools in different parts of the UK. His choirs have sung on radio and television. Several well-known composers have written music especially for him. He has served on the Music Advisory Panel of the Royal School of Church Music, as well as examining for Trinity College, London. he is a church organist and recitalist. His music is available on CD. His programme will include work by Bach, Mendelssohn and Parry. |
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Produced by Lake House |
The South Zone Cultural centre, Tanjore was inaugurated by the late
Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1986 with the aim to preserve and promote
the arts of the zone comprising the states Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka,
Kerala and Tamil Nadu and the Union Territories of Pondichery, Andaman and
Nicobar islands and Lakshadweep and to upgrade and enrich the
consciousness of the people about their rich cultural heritage.
It is our great writer and cultural scholar the late Martin
Wickramasinghe who said 'the success of political independence depends on
the evolution of cultural independence which alone can unite the whole
multi-racial and multi-religious population of Sri Lanka to work together
for unity, peace and communal harmony. The great Tamil poet Thiru Valluvar
skilfully expressed in a couplet.
