Arpeggio Dance Academy to present “Seven Disasters”Nilan
View(s):By Tarini Pilapitiya
Nilan
he Arpeggio Creative Dance Academy is returning to stage once again for their annual dance and drama production! This year the students of Arpeggio Creative Dance Academy will be performing a culmination of modern and classical dance on June 24 at the Lionel Wendt Theatre. Founded 23 years goby chief choreographer Nilan Maligaspe the dance company has produced some memorable performances to date whilst creating an inspirational movement for its pupils by training underprivileged boys and girls in diverse portfolio of dance styles.
Following in the footsteps of their 2016 production ‘Breaking the Karmic Cycle’ (Chakraya Bindi Yai) this year Arpeggio Creative Dance Academy is tackling the challenge of ‘Seven Disasters’ (Vinasha Hathak), the ingenious of this production was to portray the vital, relentless problems faced by society.
In no chronological order the academy’s performance portfolio will include dance dramas that will embody the strain of life’s most unforgiving and crucial problems.The production will feature skits on women’s hardships in a collection of dances including ‘Black Prince’ (Kalu Kumaraya) and ‘Sand Storm’ (Veli Kunatuwa). The young students will also be touching on destruction and the environment with ‘Nuclear War’ (Visha Yudhdhaya) and ‘Seattle Dream’ (Seattlege Sihinaya). The performers will also touch on Love, Commitment and Relationships with their thought provoking piece ‘Valentine’. The focuses on innocent individuals being hampered by the shortcomings and mistakes of others making no theme left untouched by these dynamic group of students aged from 5 to their mid-20’s.
Nilan’s aim for his productions are also to incorporate a mix between the Old and the New – focusing on bringing a fusion of Traditional and Modern with a dash of contemporary making his productions a recipe worth reviewing. “We must unearth stories that are applicable and are understandable to our youngsters,” Nilan states.
Making a reappearance this year as well are principal dancers of Arpeggio Creative Dance Academy Pradeep Gunaratne, who has been with the academy from the time he was a teenager. The now adult Pradeep is taking on the role of dancer cum choreographer for the ‘Seven Disasters’ performance, to the immense pride of Nilan. Pradeep who was awarded the Best Actor for his performance in ‘The Lovers of Thambapanni’ (Thambapanni PemYuwala) at the 2014 annual State Dance and Ballet Festival will also be joined on stage by fellow Arpeggio Dance Academy alum Chathuri Perera who also bagged the award in the drama for Best Actress.
Nilan’s schedule is tightly packed, his life’s wishes fulfilled with conducting dance lessons for kids aged five up in Ballet, Contemporary, Hip-Hop, Break dance, Creative and Traditional dance styles to name a few. You may find these energetic dancers rallying together at the Goethe Institute in Colombo, the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) and Sudarshi Hall. Nilan also conducts free lessons for children at the Ware House project, Narada Foundation and the Nagaswaththa Project.
The Arpeggio Dance Academy has travelled Sri Lanka and the globe teaching children and teachers their forms of dance. Around two years backNilan took great pride in introducing his syllabus of ‘emotional dance’ for hearing – impaired children for the first time in the world.
“As a teacher I understand that I have a purpose” Nilan says, “To give these children something to strive for and be proud of.”
Tickets for ‘Seven Disasters’ tickets will be priced at Rs.500, Rs.750, Rs.1000 and Rs.1500. For more information contact the organizers on 0714740799 or
071 2740799 or email them at nilanmaligaspe@gmail.com.
Pix courtesy Nilan Maligaspe