Lankan dance enthusiasts have a chance to witness an evening of traditional and modern dancing when the senior students of the Visha School of Dance present ‘Chalana’ on Tuesday, September 7 at the Lionel Wendt from 7 p.m. onwards.
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| Visha de Silva |
Elaborating on some of the highlights of the show, founder of the school Visha de Silva said a Kandyan dance item ‘Mangalam’ performed as a blessing will open the show and this will be followed by a variety of other items- Makara Wannama of folk and ritual songs, ‘Warana’ an item depicting a blend of colours performed to Indian music and a low country drum performance by Susantha and Prasantha.
A Ves dance item, from Visha’s production Grahanaya which bagged the Best Actress Award at the State Ballet Festival in 2001 are some of the other highlights.
A dance called ‘Mal Wila’ choreographed for three sisters from the same family to represent olu, nelum and manel flowers and presented in the form of a ballet, and a Kathak dance item fused with Western and Indian styles performed by Visha’s daughter Vindya are also on the programme.
The dancers taking the stage are Visha’s senior students who have been at her school since its inception in 1984. “There are graduates, lawyers, doctors and professionals. But amidst their busy schedules, they have continued dancing and I am thankful to them that they love this art and that they are still with me,” Visha says.
Visha herself began dancing aged 12 and has a degree in Fine Arts from the University of Kelaniya. A pupil of the renowned Chitrasena and Vajira, Visha has performed at a dance show held in honour of Pandit Ravi Shankar during his visit to Sri Lanka in 1981. She currently teaches dance at Wycherley International School Colombo and holds a regional directorial position at an Indian international school chain.
Tickets for the show are available at the Lionel Wendt.
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