|
|
 |
 |
| Sunday, 18 May 2003 |
 |
|
 |
Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
|
A dance festival of many forms by Ravibandu : Creativity in diversity by DAVEENA PAKIANATHAN What is that shifts the grain from the chaff? what is it that makes a person special and what makes him an artist? It's not easy to identify the intangible gift in a man. A gift that is conferred on some to distinguish them from the ordinary. Here is Ravibandu, a symbolic of that gift.
The Ravibandu-Samanthi Dance Ensemble was founded in 1984 and since then built up an enviable reputation for their innovation and creative work. Their distinctive style in performance and committed ensemble playing has been well received by several. The primary motivation of this dance festival is to create a serious stream of dance theatre in Sri Lanka, meandering from the traditional to the modern, from fusion to contemporary. The artistic performer is staging a five day dance theatre festival from May 24, at the John de Silva memorial theatre at 7 pm. There will be a series of performances on each day. A new special dance
drama combined with ballet called Thrishna, based on a Buddhist theme
designed to suit Japanese traditional theatre form will be one of the
highlights of the festival. This will be staged on the fifth day. Third
day will be dedicated to lovers of music and drum sounds while on the
other days there will be traditional dance dramas combined with ballet and
the Kerala state dance Kathakali, which is the foundation of dance drama.
The musical score is done by Pradeep Ratnayaka and Kolitha Bhanu
Dissanayaka. Tickets will be available at the entrance. Sudu, Kalu saha Alu : portraying 14 protagonists "Sudu, Kalu saha Alu" (White, Black and Ash), Sudath Mahadivulwewa's debut cinematic direction, has now been completed. The film, based on his year-long research with Sarathchandra Gamlath, followed by a brainstorming workshop for the artistes participating in its making, claims several landmarks in the local cinematic arena, depicting post-war civilian lives in resettlement, caught between two extreme ends to a conflict.
Firstly, the film does not unfold a story in narrative format, but recreates different real-life incidents in a story-line, portraying 14 protagonists, instead of the usual single protagonist, backed by supporting roles. In the largest film sets created for a local film in recent times, in the village, Pasugaswewa in Anuradhapura, "Sudu, Kalu and Alu" becomes Mahadivulwewa's medium of discussing a political theme in the form of a non-political human drama, which, ends with a protagonist levelling a crucial question at the audience. According to the film's director, it is the first local film to have its post production processed at India's Ramoji Film City. It also features music maestro Premasiri Khemadasa's first cinematic score to its technology, Elmo Halliday's first digital editing and Dr. Krishan Deheragoda, a university academic, in producing. The characters are played by Iranganie Serasinghe, Dilhani Ekanayake,
Mahendra Perera, Wasantha Kotuwella and young Dasun Madhusanka Mendis
among others, introducing Koshila Jayawardena. Mahadivulwewa became known
to the local audiences for his tele-dramas of notable quality, viz.
Dhawala Rathiya, Dande Lu Gini, Manukakapura and Wanaspathi Nikmantota. Exhibition of miniature abstract paintings : For the viewer to interpret ...
The 11th solo exhibition realised by Thilak Palliyaguruge, bringing together around 150 miniature abstract paintings opens at the Alliance francaise de Kandy on May 23 at 6.30 p.m. The exhibition is 'different' from the ordinary since there are no captions for the paintings and they do not follow any chronological order. Kalabooshana Thilak Palliyaguruge apart from his ten solo exhibitions has also 15 group exhibitions to his credit. His paintings bring pride to Sri Lanka since they are exhibited in many countries: in the USA, in Canada, India, Pakistan, France, Belgium, Germany, Australia and the United Kingdom to name a few.
The US Association for the Cultural Triangle of Sri Lanka selected ten of his paintings for exhibition at the Association's headquarters in Washington. Last year Palliyaguruge received the Asirwada Medal at the Cultural Festival organized by the Kandy Cultural Council. Thilak Palliyaguruge, apart form being a reputed artist, is also an architectural landscape designer. He was instrumental in designing the entire biodiversity complex on Gampola's Ambuluvava Mountain. Prof. Ashley Halpe says this of Thilak Palliyaguruge's work. "It is a wonderful visual experience and a stimulating call to the imagination. Beautiful work. Meaningfully presented". |
|
News | Business | Features
| Editorial | Security Produced by Lake House |
