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| Sunday, 7 September 2003 |
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Nrithanjali : Unfaded, immaculate and infused with perennial vitality by Tennyson Rodrigo It's many years since Chitrasena and Vajira first enthraled the world with their celebrated performances. In picking Nirthanjali as the curtain raiser for the Lionel Wendt Art Centre the organisers will be justifiably pleased that it turned out to be a perfect choice.
It is disconcerting that most Sri Lankan performing arts productions have scant respect for punctuality. In this respect, Nrithanjali was a refreshing contrast. With professional precision, the show began right on time, and from then on for nearly one-and-a-half hours it was a reverting spectacle of seamless, timeless and tireless dancing, drumming and colourful costumes. Except for the scheduled ten-minute interval the curtain never came down in between. To begin with two critical comments on the production are in order. From where I sat in the audience, the constant movement in the wings of off-stage persons became a discomforting distraction. Perhaps he wasn't aware that a conspicuous wrongdoer was the great Maestro Chitrasena himself! The Printed programme did not do justice to a great performance. My grouse is not that it looked rather spartan. From just a listing of the names of drummers and dancers it was not possible to find out who was participating in what. That wasn't helpful to the audience, and neither could it have been an encouragement particularly to the younger performers. Advancing years, passage of time and social change haven't withered Vajira and Chitrasena's unique partnership dedicated to foster, innovate and achieve excellence through the medium of traditional dance. Understandably they may have decided not to adorn the stage and more. But their inspirational guidance seems to be driving a new generation to sustain the standards, creativity and traditions that have been the hallmark of this great partnership. Its obvious that the mantle of leadership on the stage is now on Upekha. Her perceptible maturity, experience and artistry were in full bloom especially in items that demanded exquisite skill-whether it be in depicting the celestial Gajaga or any other legendary creature or phenomenon. She executed her new role with a spirit of joy, acceptance and aplomb. Like a black swan she glided gracefully over a myriad ripples of rhythmic drumbeats. The sensitivity towards, communication with and respect for her drumming partner exemplified and enhanced the distinct synergy between the drumbeat and the dance. Ravibandu, now a mature figure, learnt his dancing at the feet of Chitrasena. It was heart-warming to see him pattering Upekha in dance and drums. When I spoke to him at the end of the performance, he displayed nothing but humility and respect for his guru and happiness in having taken part in this production as well. Being an accomplished dancer, musician and percussionist and a direct descendant of the great Algama Kiriganitha Gurunanse, Ravibandu has over the years earned recognition as a versatile artist in his own right. The Ves dance from the ritualistic Kohomba Kankariya was the most impressive performance in the category of group dances. Dressed in pure white, the drum-strapped squad with shimmering beadwork adorning their chests and swirling red tails on their majestic headgear gave a vivid account of the quintessence of Kandyan dance. In most dance-forms of the Indian subcontinent the drumbeat, footwork and the choreography are integral and inseparable. The Gata Bere, Thammattama, Daula, Yak Bere, Udekki, and many other types of percussion played a key role in traditional rituals and in folk dances, they were an integral part of the dances performed at such rituals. Given that background, I am getting persuaded that the stand-alone 'drum orchestra' is a contemporary outgrowth that evolved, consciously or otherwise, from the innovative instincts and creativity of Chitrasena, Vajira and their talented band of drummers and musicians. Whatever, its origin, the fury and sonic energy of twenty-six different drums beating away in unison produced a breath-taking finale to Nrithanjali. As the decibel levels of the piercing percussion rose to a frenzied crescendo one reverberating clang of two mighty cymbals signalled the dramatic ending to a remarkable performance. At curtain-fall, the audience rose to their feet applauding graciously, they seemed bonded by a feeling of oneness. The stage was set for bouquets and accolades. Throughout the entire performance there was one person seated in the front row with serenity and contentment, that is not to say she was oblivious to the occasional choreographic flaws that she alone might have noticed. That person was none other than the self-effacing Vajira. With great reluctance she was made to climb the stage - the arena on which for decades and decades she had entertained thousands of dance-lovers with her flowing movements and striking stage-presence. I managed to have a word with Chitrasena, while he was still being felicitated and ask him when Nrithanjali was first performed. He insisted promptly and firmly, "1961 right here on this stage." Forty-two years on, with a new generation of young dancers and drummers and a sprinkling of the old, Nrithanjali remains unfaded and immaculate and infused with perennial vitality. The Maestro also volunteered to say that he created Nrithanjali to show Western audiences the rich diversity of Sri Lankan dance forms. If that idea was simple, its outcome was something seminal. Often, words cannot express the impact of a great performance. Yet, if I am to adopt a metaphor that Richard Wagner used to express his thoughts on a great symphony, I should add that Nrithanjali is the apotheosis of Sri Lankan dance and drums. (The writer is a member of the Western Music Panel of the Sri Lanka Arts Council) |
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