Dance, baby dance

Lankan judge for World Dancesport Championships

Well-known ballroom and Latin American dance instructor and competition organizer Dharshan Wijesooriya will officiate at two major international dance competitions in South East Asia.

The organizers of the 5th Singapore Superstar International Dancesport Championship and the 6th Malaysia Open 2000 Dancesport Championship have invited Dharshan to adjudicate at their championships to be held today and on July 2 respectively.

In March, he was invited to adjudicate at the Singapore Dance Festial organized by the Singapore Professional Ballroom Dancers' Association. This was the first time a Sri Lankan officiated at an international Dancesport competition.

Ballroom and Latin American dancing is considered the newest sport in the world - and Dancesport will be included as an event in the next Olympic Games.

Many Sri Lankans have taken this up and standards have risen to international levels.

Six Sri Lankans couples will be competing at the championships being held in Singapore and Malaysia.

They are Nishan Peiris and Manuja Siriwardena; Azlan Bathusah and Natalie Goonerathne; Yohann Jurie and Michikao Chiba, Ruchira Perera and Nicola De Silva; Charnez Perera and Johann Peiris and Yoshita Abayasekare and Sudev Abesekare. They are trained by Toni Fernandez, Anushan Perera and Naomi Rajaratnam.

Four competitors are being sponsored by SriLankan Airlines, after they won Dancesport '99 and CADA Dance Championships held last year.

Dharshan who has qualified from the National Association of Teachers of Dancing, UK runs the social dance school - The Dance Academy.

Down Memory Lane

Lakshman Kannangara -
Thoroughly spoilt as a child

By: Roshan Peiris

"I used to run out of class and the big burly school Appu carried me back to class," said Duryodhan Lakshman Kannangara recalling his schooldays at Royal Primary.

"We were Christians, but my father I recall believed in horoscopes and since my horoscope prescribed that my first name should begin with the letter 'D' or 'U', I was given this unusual name of Duryodhan," he smiles.

Lakshman retired as Senior Deputy Governor of the Central Bank after 36 years. Thereafter, he had been requested to serve on the Board of the International Monetary Fund as an Alternate Executive Director.

He says, "I was the only child for nine years and hence a very lonely one. I was thoroughly spoilt, spending much time on my mother's lap.

Whenever I was naughty, my father used the cane on me. But this was infrequently.

"He was very angry when I rang the dear old Burgher lady in the opposite house and played the fool!! But both my parents loved me dearly and never punished me severely.

"At Royal Primary our class teacher found that I had a penchant for bolting out of class. The big Appu carried me back. I was never sent out of class or punished.

"In the fifth form our class was opposite Principal E.L. Bradby's office. One day, Bradby was angry when he found the class teasing the geography master. He walked into class and caned every single boy. I escaped since I was absent that day!"

Lakshman with a B. A. from Oxford in Philosophy, Politics and Economics was second or third in a class of 30 at school.

"I got a second class at Oxford studying P.P.E, which some called Pretty Poor Education in fun." He also has an MA.

When he left Royal, he studied Western Classics at the University of Ceylon.

"Before I left for Oxford I was attracted to Somadevi Ranasinghe, our families being friendly. So I had no special girl-friend at Oxford.

"Chasing girls anyway was not my forte. I came back from Oxford on holiday after two years, married Somadevi and took her back with me.

It is most unfortunate that Soma and I divorced after we had two nice daughters. That is life, I suppose," said Lakshman philosophically.

He is now married to Irani, a teacher at the Asian International School. "Marriage is a fine institution. It is abiding and fulfilling."

Regarding his career, he says, "When I left the Central Bank I joined The Sunday Times. My memories as Business Editor are vivid and memorable because I worked with friendly and devoted people."

Lakshman has former diplomat Manel Abeysekera as a sister nine years younger and Swarna 10 years younger. "I teased and frightened them for fun making noises like a goni billa. They used to run to mother. I lost my sister Swarna who was living in Australia. The death of my parents and my sister are sad memories."

He says, "I gave my sister Manel in marriage to Hector Abeysekera when she was head of the Sri Lankan Mission in Bangkok. Hector and I understood not a word of the Thai language used in the ceremony."

"My life, full of work, love and fun has been fulfilling and happy. Religion– I am a Methodist–has been a formidable solace in my life," adds Lakshman who is in his seventies.

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