Ravibandhu dances to the tune of Othello
View(s):Shakespeare without words? It seems a tall order given that the power of the Bard lies in his expressive verse. But just think–dance may also effectively convey the poetry of Shakespeare and his dramatic themes.
Aiming to touch the audience and bring Shakespeare’s powerful words alive through dance, veteran dancer and choreographer Ravibandhu will present ‘Othello’ his new ballet at the Lionel Wendt on August 23 in two shows at 3.30 p.m. and 7 p.m.
‘Othello’ is not Ravibandhu’s first ballet based on Shakespeare, he staged ‘Romeo and Juliet’ in 1989 and “Macbeth’ in 2009. The cast includes Dayan Kahandawala as Othello, Vanamal Silva as Desdemona , Nupathi Nilambara as Iago, Dinusha Ranathunga as Emilia, Geeth Premachandar as Cassio and some ten other members of the Ravibandhu- Samanthi Dance Ensemble.
Jithendra Vidyapathy, Ravibandhu’s son has composed the musical score for this hour-long ballet. The play is directed by Ravibandhu who also handles the choreography and costume design. The show is co-ordinated by Jude Srimal.
Othello is now a text for GCE A’Level examinations so students of both literature and dance may well appreciate this intriguing interpretation of Othello in Sri Lankan traditional dance.