Young dancers eagerly await their day on stage at ‘Joy of Dance’
A year in the making, ‘Joy of Dance’ presented by the Ballet School of Colombo is a two-part concert: Hansel and Gretel in a classical ballet style and a second act showcasing diverse dance styles taught at the school including jazz, tap and contemporary.
The show which goes on the boards on November 3 and 4 is choreographed by directors of the school, Tara Cooke, Romina Gyi and fellow instructor, Nadine Shums with the help of the school faculty.
The main cast of the Hansel and Gretel Ballet comprises Shenelle Arasaratnam as Gretel, Okitha Karunadhara and Supushpika Jayakody as Hansel, Anitra Gunaratne as the Witch, Kyra Wafa and Janindu Ranasinghe as father and mother, Ashmita Sriharan as Moon, Lasandi Matharaarachchi as Sandman and Ovindee Rajapakse, Vonara Kiribathgoda, Shalini de Mel and Kiara Wijewardene as the main sweets.
Sitting in on a practice session, the atmosphere was a mix of high energy and sharp concentration in the studio, the young performers displaying an impressive amount of skill and precision among the young performers.
The production has over 200 dancers of all ages and skill levels, and the choreographers are pleased with the level of dedication and discipline displayed by their students. “Kids do so much these days – it’s not only dance and school that they have to prioritize,” says Nadine. Lessons at the Ballet School require dancers to practise at least twice a week says Tara, with Romina adding that the frequency of rehearsals has increased with the main cast making time to come in every day whilst balancing their other commitments.
The young performers are fully immersed in their preparation. Okitha explained, “In ballet, something that’s really important is that you have to try and emote and show a lot of expression and tell the story purely through movements and expressions and this was difficult especially since most are new to the art involved there – so focus on the dance and steps itself and focus on conveying it through expression has been a challenge.”
“It’s been a while since anyone has done a ballet like this since the pandemic,” says Shalini who is both a cast member as well as an instructor at the school. She’s keen for her students to get to experience performing a full-length ballet (most of them for the first time) and hopes the audience members will connect with them. “There’s so many dance styles in this show and I think there’s at least one kind for everyone to enjoy watching.”
Okitha adds that he’s eager to see a shift in the dance culture in the country. “When it comes to dance in Sri Lanka, most of what we’re doing, contemporary dance styles and all are not as popular as I believe they should be, so I hope we can leave a mark and help expand the dance sphere in Sri Lanka.”
‘Joy of Dance’ presented by the Ballet School of Colombo will take place on November 3 and 4 at the Bishops College Auditorium at 7 p.m.
Tickets are priced at Rs.5500, Rs.4500, Rs.3500, Rs.2500 and balcony tickets at Rs.1500.
For inquiries call 0721580580.
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