Finding expression through movement
Pradeep Gunarathna is not afraid of his body. All the proof you’ll need is in his dance-his body moves seemingly to a rhythm of its own, although he will tell you that it takes days, even weeks of practice to get five seconds of it right. As a young dancer who has made somewhat of a name for himself in Colombo, Pradeep was chosen to take part in this year’s Attakkalari Indian Biennial in Bangalore last month. He spoke to us about his performance, and what inspired him to take it on.
Pradeep has danced for as long as he can remember. Classically trained but with an affinity for contemporary dance, he holds a diploma in traditional Sri Lankan dance from the Institute of Aesthetic Studies of the Western Province and is presently pursuing a general degree at the University of Visual and Performing Arts. Pradeep rose to fame as a chief dancer at the Arpeggio Creative Dance Academy headed by Nilan Maligapse, and has played main roles in the group’s productions. ‘Another Tempest’, ‘Kuvanna-Vijaya’ and ‘Sapthanaari’. It was his first solo work ‘Kuvanna’s Metamorphosis’ at the Colombo Dance Platform last year that drew the attention of the Attakkalari Biennial’s organizers, who invited him to visit India to perform at and attend the event.
Pradeep’s performance ‘Gara-Giri’ was based on a myth from ritual practices of Southern Sri Lanka. Positioning himself between the two characters ‘Giri Devi’ and ‘Gara Yaka’ from these ritual exorcisms, Pradeep explores the dual sexuality present to some extent within all of us. “My body was two people at once,” he says of his performance. “On one side there was the female, and the male on the other. It was almost a struggle between the two, with me caught in the middle.” Utilising a pantheruwa (lamp) and rope, he shared his concept with the audience in the best way he knew-through movement and expression.
It was incredibly difficult preparing for his piece, he says, adding that the feedback from his seniors along with choreographers and musicians in India proved helpful. The audience’s feedback was enthusiastic, he notes; “for me it’s a good thing when your audience has a lot of questions for you. For example I was asked a lot about the concept, and about using the pantheruwa. That kind of keeps you on your toes, so you go in with a lot of research and as thorough an understanding about your body as possible.” Having returned to Lanka Pradeep is gearing for a few roles with Arpeggio and a stints at the Colombo International Theatre Festival, but says he hasn’t peered too far into the future. “I’ll take it as it comes,” he smiles.